Kate & Kitten: A Story Of Accidental Meetings
by McGladiator
Summary: "Go out with me. Please." "Like a date?" Kate asked. Rick nodded and he gave her his best charming smile, the one that made all the women swoon. Well, all except for her. "Mm, you're not my type." "What? I'm everyone's type!" He called after her. She didn't stop walking, only turned her head as she said, "Exactly." AU
1. Chapter 1

**DISCLAIMER: I most definitely do not own Castle**

_What the hell am I doing?!_ Kate asked herself as she walked through the doors of Petsmart, a small bundle clutched to her chest. She walked over to an available cashier and asked for some assistance over at the Cat Adoption center. Kate waited patiently as the cashier paged another employee before politely telling her she could wait over at Cat Adoption, someone would be right there to help her.

Kate made her way over and proceeded to pace impatiently for an employee. She peeked beneath the blanket to find a set of amber eyes glowing back at her, wide with fear. It let out a pitiful mewl.

"It's okay," she crooned softly, feeling ridiculous as she did so, imagining how silly people probably thought she was. Kate looked around to find that no one had even looked her way. Emboldened by this knowledge, Kate continued to talk sweetly to the scared kitten she held, trying to soothe his anxiety. She pulled the blanket back a little bit to expose his little head and allow her access to rub behind his ears.

It wasn't long before he was purring up a storm and resting contently in her arms, no longer struggling against her to be freed as he'd insisted upon doing each time she'd held him before.

"Hi, can I help you?"

Kate glanced up to find an older looking woman smiling expectantly at her.

"Oh, uh.. Yeah, I'm hoping so! Well, you see.." Kate started off saying before she stopped, trying to figure out a shortened version of how she came to be in possession of this kitten.

"Well, you see.." She began again, "I'm a detective with NYPD and we got called out on a case. It's routine to search the scene for any evidence or other necessary things that could be pertinent to the case, and that's how we stumbled across this little one right here. There was a uniform searching the dumpster when she had the misfortune of startling him." She laughed as she remembered how the uniform had scrambled so quickly from the dumpster, in such a hurry that her foot got caught on the way down and she face planted.

"He got her pretty good, her hand was bleeding pretty badly- he's a fierce little guy." Kate broke off as she looked down at the now slumbering kitten in her arms. "Anyway, I think protocol would have been to call animal control but I really didn't want to do that. So many of them get picked up all the time and a lot of them end up getting euthanized because they can't find homes for them, I just couldn't bear the thought.." She trailed off, waiting for the woman to respond.

"I think we might be able to help. Why don't we go in the back room and fill out some paperwork?"

Kate merely nodded and followed the woman back.

In the back room, Kate sat down in one of the plastic chairs and began filling out the paperwork she was handed. She had set the kitten down on the floor to stretch his legs or play with the various toys lying about. Instead, he tried to jump back into Kate's lap but he never could quite make it. He resorted to trying to climb up her pant leg, but Kate was quick to snatch him up before he could snag her pants or further cause her bodily harm-his claws were sharp! He curled into a ball on her lap and fell back asleep, forcing Kate to fill out the paperwork in an awkward position as she held the clipboard off her lap.

"He really likes you."

Kate looked up from the paperwork. "Huh?"

The woman pointed to the sleeping kitten and repeated, "He really likes you."

"Oh, yeah.." Kate murmured. She absently stroked the orange ball of fluff before resuming the paperwork. Kate's hand hovered over the line that requested her signature, hesitating. A few moments later, before she could change her mind, her pen scribbled across the paper and she thrust the clipboard in the direction of the woman. _There, it's done._

When the lady came to take the kitten from her lap, she was surprised to feel the claws dig in as he resisted being picked up. When the woman gently unhooked his claws, mindful not to snag Kate's pants, he let out a low, rumbling growl, surprisingly intimidating for a kitten his size.

The lady smiled as she thanked Kate and wished her a good rest of the afternoon. Kate sat alone in the little room for a few minutes, feeling as though she'd messed up. Messed up big. So what if Will got a little angry about her acquiring a kitten without mutual consent, it wasn't like he was around much anyway. He wouldn't be terribly difficult to look after. Cats weren't like dogs, they were much more self reliant. She wouldn't have to feel bad about leaving him alone while she went off to work because let's face it, cats are completely content with alone time. The reasons for giving him up in the first place seemed to disappear almost as fast as the reasons why she _shouldn't_ give him up appeared.

Kate wrenched open the door and started striding past aisles as she looked for any sign of the woman and her kitten. She finally spotted her as she was turning the corner in the very back of the store.

"Hey, wait!" Kate yelled.

The woman immediately stopped and waited as Kate caught up.

"Is it too late to change my mind?" Kate asked, hoping that the woman would be understanding.

The lady smiled real big. "Well, it took you long enough. This is the second time I walked down this aisle."

"Wha-you knew I'd change my mind?" Kate asked dubiously.

"Honey, I always know." She said as she handed over the squirming kitten.

After five minutes of listening to the lady's suggestions, Kate thanked her and went back to the front of the store for a shopping cart as she recited things over and over in her head, afraid of forgetting anything.

Kate was in the midst of choosing which brand of kitten food when she noticed the young girl a few feet away, casting what she probably imagined to be surreptitious glances Kate's way. Kate was fairly certain it was the same girl she'd kept catching glimpses of as she shopped down the last aisle. Peering around the corner. Peering through the shelving unit. Always just peering.

Kate walked over her way, amused as she watched the girl pretend to be absorbed in something on the shelf.

"Did you want to pet him?" Was all Kate said. The girl looked up with shining eyes, shaking her head up and down. The girl walked closer to Kate and gently reached out to pet the top of his head.

"He's cute!" She said as she grinned up at Kate.

"Yeah, he is pretty cute, isn't he?" It hadn't taken long but Kate was already incredibly fond of her new little feline friend.

"I wish my dad let me get a kitten. Or a puppy. But he always says no. The only thing I'm allowed to have is a fish and fish don't do _anything_!"

Kate laughed, the girl seemed like a little spitfire.

"What's your name?" Kate asked as the girl continued to love on the kitty.

"Alexis." She replied, looking back up at Kate. "What's yours?"

"It's Kate."

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Kate!" Alexis said enthusiastically causing Kate to smile.

"So, is your dad here helping you pick out a fish?"

Alexis rolled her eyes dramatically. "Just because I can have a fish doesn't mean I want one! And no, my dad's at the bookstore across the street."

Kate's cop instincts immediately kicked in. _What kind of parent allows such a young child to wander stores by themselves?! She looks like she's only six!_

"So, you're here alone, Alexis?" She asked to clarify.

"Oh, no! My dad would never let me go off by myself! I'm with his _girlfriend_." Alexis emphasized the word in such away that it was very much clear to Kate how she felt about her father's girlfriend.

"Where is she, might I ask? She's probably looking for you."

Alexis stopped petting the kitten for a moment to look up at Kate. "Doubt it. She doesn't even like me. She just likes my dad."

Kate frowned at hearing this before trying to cover it up with a smile. "Oh, I'm sure that's not true!"

"It's okay. I don't really like her either." Alexis told Kate matter of fact.

Kate didn't really know what an appropriate response to this would be, so she opted for none at all. Instead, she held the kitten out. "Wanna hold him?"

Alexis looked up doubtfully, "Really?"

"Sure, why not? He might be a little squirmy so..." Kate said as she gently placed the kitten in the girls outstretched arms. Whether it was because he was genuinely at ease in the girl's arms or if he was just plain tuckered out, Kate didn't know, but she was relieved that he remained quiet in the girl's arms.

Kate turned and walked back over to where the kitten food was and finally picked one out and placed it in the cart, pushing it over towards where Alexis remained standing with the kitten. Kate told the girl that she had a few other things to grab but she could hang on to the kitten if she walked with her. Alexis was only too happy to do so. The girl ended up sticking with Kate all the way through checking out at the register. Kate's intention had been to find whomever the girl had come with, but she never did. She hadn't been approached and no one had called for the girl over the intercom. Kate suddenly felt miffed by this.

The girl had been with Kate more than ten minutes, in that time someone should have started to worry and come looking for her..

"Well, Alexis, it was very nice to meet you and I appreciate your help. But, before I go, I want to make sure you're back with whoever came with you. So, where are they?" She asked.

"Uhm, well..." Alexis said as she started turning her head this way and that, looking for the blonde woman. "I- I don't see her." Her voice rose a little in panic. "I thought I saw her earlier, over there," she pointed towards the line of kennels and small enclosures that held rescued dogs for adoption.

"Okay, okay. It's alright. I'm sure she's here somewhere. Why don't we ask if they'll call her name over the loud speaker?"

Kate left her cart by the doors and walked with the girl to the cash register.

"Hi, excuse me!" Kate apologized as she interrupted the man currently ringing up another customer. "She can't find her.." Kate paused as she tried to think of how to describe who Alexis had come with. "She can't find the person she came with so we were wondering if you could make an announcement over the intercom?'

"Oh, of course!" He said as he proceeded to ask Alexis her name and the name of the person she came with.

**"Hannah Meyer, Hannah Meyer. Please come to the front register, we have an Alexis Castle waiting."**

He repeated it twice and Kate thanked him as she and Alexis stood off to the side to wait. They waited nearly ten minutes before Kate began to worry. The woman wouldn't just up and leave, would she?

She turned back to the girl who looked to be on the verge of tears.

"You said your dad was over at the book shop across the way?"

Alexis nodded slowly.

"I can take you over there to find him, how's that sound?"

Alexis hesitated. As nice as she thought Kate was, her father had always, always stressed the importance of stranger danger. It was different in the safety of a public store, at least Alexis thought so.

"My daddy says I'm not supposed to go anywhere with strangers." She told Kate seriously.

Kate felt mildly shocked, for a father who had apparently left his daughter in charge of someone so irresponsible, he seemed to have managed to instill some common sense in his daughter.

"Well, kiddo, lucky for you I'm not actually a stranger. You can trust a cop, right?" She watched as Alexis shook her head hesitantly. "I'm a cop!" Kate pulled her badge from under her peacoat and showed the girl. "Now would it be okay if I helped you find your dad?"

Alexis sniffled a little before wiping her nose on her sleeve, "okay."

Alexis followed Kate out to her car and held the kitten as she loaded the bags in the trunk. Kate decided they would walk since it was so close but she didn't want to leave the kitten in the car so she had no choice but to take him with.

"Alrighty, Alexis. Let's go find your father." She said as she held out a hand that Alexis promptly took.

Xx

The two wandered into the jam packed bookstore. Kate was surprised to see so many people, she wondered what such a long line could be for. She looked over to see a massive sign that made her heart speed up. _Richard Castle Book Signing! Today, 12pm-3pm_

_Castle. Alexis Castle. As in Richard Castle's daughter!_ Kate had never thought to make the connection but now it seemed glaringly obvious.

"That's your father?" Kate asked, pointing to a picture of Richard Castle.

"Uh-huh!" Alexis replied as she began tugging Kate along, weaving through the line of waiting people.

The table at the front of the line was empty with a sign propped up saying "Back in 10!"

Alexis however was undeterred by this and continued to pull Kate along. When they reached the roped off section, Alexis and Kate ducked under and turned the corner to find Richard Castle in a very heated argument with a blonde woman- presumably Hannah.

"What do you mean you don't know where she is?!" He ran a hand through his already mussed hair and resumed pacing.

"She just wandered off and I couldn't find her.. I thought she came back here..." She answered lamely, not appearing all that bothered by the situation at hand.

"You thought she- the whole reason I asked you to take her was so that she wouldn't be wandering by herself! She's 6 years old, for Christ's sake!"

"Well, I don't know what you want from me!" She yelled back.

Kate tutted in disgust. She cleared her throat just before it looked like he was going to blow a gasket.

"Excuse me, Mr. Castle?" He spun on his heel ready to tell someone else off.

Instead, a wave of relief crashed over him as he saw his little girl. He ran over and picked her up, hugging her tightly to his chest as he spun her around. "I'm so glad you're okay, pumpkin! Why would you wander off like that?!"

"I didn't wander off daddy, I was still in Petsmart! She's the one that left!" Alexis said accusatorially.

Hannah immediately went on the defensive. "I only left because she was nowhere to be found! She just disappeared!"

Kate shook her head. This was outrageous, she could not believe the bullshit that was coming from this woman's mouth. "And what? You didn't think to ask an employee to make an announcement over the intercom? Or to look for her in the very least?"

"What?! I did that! They called her name over the loud speaker, she just didn't listen!"

Oh, now the woman was blatantly lying, not responsible enough to take the blame. Kate shook her head again. "Yeah, right. You did no such thing, I was with Alexis the whole time and never once was there an announcement or anyone looking for her."

"Bitch, I don't know who the hell you think you are!" She yelled as she advanced towards Kate. Kate started laughing. She willed the woman to start something, she'd knock her flat on her ass and have her arrested for assaulting a police officer so fast, she wouldn't know what hit her.

She was surprised when Richard Castle stepped between the two and with contempt dripping from his voice he said, "Get out."

This caused the woman to stop dead in her tracks. "What?"

"I said. Get. Out. Leave, Hannah."

She huffed loudly in anger before glaring at Kate and storming from the room.

Somewhere in the middle of all that, the kitten had gotten all worked up as well, feeding off of Kate's anxious energy. He now wriggled restlessly in her arms.

"I don't know how to thank you." He said sincerely.

"By not ever leaving your daughter with the likes of someone like _that_." The words came flying out of her mouth before she could stop them. Kate knew that was most likely rude and way too forward.

Richard Castle was astounded. Hardly anyone was ever that direct with him, mostly he dealt with ass kissers and people who wanted something.

"If I'd known..." He trailed off lamely, thinking to himself how he _should_ have known.

They talked for a few minutes more, Rick not learning much else about her besides her name and the story of how she'd met Alexis and came to be in possession of the small kitten tucked under one arm. To him, that wasn't nearly enough- he found that he liked Kate almost instantly. Something inexplicably drew her to him and he wanted desperately to get to know her better. Just then, a man poked his head around the corner and said, "you're needed now, Mr. Castle."

Rick sighed in frustration, the last thing he wanted to do right now was return to signing books.

"Well, Mr. Castle, Alexis, it was nice to meet you both!" Kate turned and started to walk away.

"Wait, Kate!" He watched her stop and turn to look at him expectantly. Rick took a breath, _You're Richard Castle, you can do this_! He encouraged himself.

"Go out with me." He watched her face though it gave away nothing.

"Please." He added.

"Like a date?"

Rick nodded and he gave her his best charming smile, the one that made all the women swoon. Well, all except for her.

"Mm, you're not my type." She told him as she started to walk away again.

"What? I'm everyone's type!" He called after her.

She didn't stop, only turned her head as she said, "Exactly."

**A/N: I'm currently in the middle do writing another story, but I had this idea that refused to leave me alone and has continued to be quite the distraction. So, I will leave this here for you all, make of it what you will! Not sure if it's a one shot or not.. I left it open in case I chose to do something with it in the future. **


	2. Chapter 2

**_Chapter 2_**

**_DISCLAIMER: I most definitely do not own Castle_**

It was going on 4 o'clock by the time Rick and Alexis climbed into the waiting town car. The book signing may have been set to go only to 3 but Rick always felt bad cutting off the line; if they'd waited that long they sure as hell deserved his signature that cost him only a little bit of his time.

He charmed and he schmoozed, Richard Castle was a master illusionist. On the outside, he was the same charismatic best selling author with the megawatt smile, but just below the surface, internal conflict churned. He was livid with Hannah for practically losing his child, he was angry with himself for ever thinking it was an okay idea in the first place and he was irritated beyond belief that his advances with a certain someone had been turned down without so much as a second glance back. He was Richard Castle, no one turned him down! To make matters worse, he was constantly reminded of his failed date scheme the entire car ride home.

Alexis went on and on about how Kate really seemed like a nice person and how cute the kitten had been.

"Why can't I get a kitten, dad?"

"Because Alexis.. We've talked about this." This was probably the only thing Rick had never budged on when it came to telling his daughter no. It's not that he had anything against pets or didn't think his daughter deserved one, it had more to do with the fact that he had a chaotic and sometimes unpredictable schedule. Rick didn't want to further complicate things by throwing a dog or cat into the mix, he already had his hands full with a vivacious six year old who was adept at keeping him on his toes.

Alexis sighed dramatically and pressed her forehead against the window, resolving to give her father the silent treatment the rest of the way home.

Once they reached the loft, Rick started brainstorming ideas for supper.

"What do you want, pumpkin? Baked mac? Fried chicken? Pizza?" Rick asked his daughter who still appeared to be sulking.

"I want a kitten." Alexis said, her bottom lip stuck out in a pout.

"For dinner?!" Rick shrieked in mock disgust watching as his daughter rolled her eyes and sighed loudly. He had to hand it to her, she was a master sigher.

"No, daddy. Not for dinner, you know what I meant!"

"Yeah, yeah, sassy daughter of mine, I know. But, all jokes aside- what do you want for dinner?"

Alexis thought for a moment before deciding she wanted baked mac. Rick smiled, _success_, he thought, _I knew food would be the perfect distraction_. And it was, for a while at least. It came up again during dinner time.

"I wonder what she's going to name him." Alexis said before taking another huge bite.

"Who's gonna name who?" Rick felt a little lost, they'd gone from talking about what movie they'd see tomorrow before his next book signing, to suddenly talking about someone naming something.

"What Kate will name her kitten!" She replied, her mouth still a little full.

"Hey! Chew first, talk after!" He chided, he was nothing if not a conscientious parent intent on raising a well disciplined child.

Alexis gulped down the remainder of her food. "Sorry. I was just thinking about it and she hadn't had a named picked out yet. I told her she should name him Oliver like in Oliver & Company or maybe after one of the cats in Aristocats!"

Rick laughed as he pictured his daughter trying to convince a grown woman to name her kitten after some animated cat in a child's film.

"Why are you laughing, daddy! It was a good idea!" Alexis said defensively.

"It's a great idea, Alexis. I wasn't laughing at that!"

She pursed her lips and frowned for a second before saying, "well, what were you laughing at then?"

"Nothing, honey. You're just so cute, that's all." He told her warmly. Rick loved his daughter and loved who he was with her. This was where Rick was happiest, at home being the family man. Not to say he didn't enjoy the fortune or the fame his novels brought him, or any of the perks that came with being Richard Castle the celebrity, because he did, he enjoyed it, just not nearly as much as being just Rick, Alexis' dad.

Rick knew he was much more than his public persona lead the world to believe. He wasn't a womanizing, arrogant ass who had let the fame get to his head. _Okay, so maybe I am just a little bit of a womanizer_. Rick amended as images of his latest conquests paraded through his head. _And I can be just a smidge of an ass sometimes. But I much prefer to think of myself as confident.._

"Daddy?" He was pulled from his thoughts by the solemn voice of his daughter. Alexis was pushing around the last of her food and appeared to be deep in her own thoughts.

"What is it, sweetie?"

"I'm sorry about Hannah." Alexis said as she finally looked up to meet her dad's eyes. Alexis may not have liked her, but she knew her father did for whatever reason and she couldn't help but feel responsible for the breakup.

Rick's chest tightened infinitesimally, looking at his daughter's serious face. Again, he felt the indescribable anger with himself for allowing Hannah to take her in the first place. He was only with the dumb blonde bombshell in the first place because Paula had been pestering him to "get back out there." And the the _only_ reason he had asked Hannah to take Alexis to the pet store was because he knew how bored she got at his signings and he figured if was just barely across the street, what could the harm be? If he'd ever thought that brief amount of time with his daughter would turn into such a fiasco, he'd never have suggested it.

Mostly she was a confident and very self assured little girl but there were rare moments like these when her insecurities shone through. There was a reason Rick had always done his best to keep the women he was involved with out of his daughter's life as much as he could. He'd learned after the first couple times that it hurt his daughter more than it could ever help. He hadn't realized at first how there was a mother shaped hole in Alexis that she unconsciously sought to fill. Those women of course were not and would never be the right fit; they were interested only in Rick and the secondhand fame dating him brought.

It was after a questionable number of broken promises and empty words spoken for Rick's benefit did he finally realize the great disservice he was doing his daughter. He was mortified that he hadn't seen it sooner, his judgement clouded by his desire for something real and meaningful. Ever since then, whenever Rick was lonely or looking for a good time, he left Alexis and her heart out of it.

Those first couple times though were more than enough for Alexis to learn, regardless of her father's realization and consequential solution, the damage was already done. Alexis crafted around herself an air of indifference and learned to carefully maintain an emotional distance from any woman her father brought around.

Rick shook his head and smiled widely at his daughter. "Don't worry about it, Alexis. She wasn't even special. People like her are a dime a dozen."

His words mollified the girl and he watched as she relaxed back into her seat, a weak smile spread across her face.

After Alexis had showered and gotten ready for bed, Rick tucked her in, kissing her once on her forehead.

"Goodnight, daddy."

"Goodnight, Alexis. And _I'm_ sorry about today. _I_ never should have suggested that awful idea in the first place."

"I'm not. I'm still glad I got to go to the pet store; I got to meet Kate and her really cute kitten."

Rick felt a sense of relief that the incident hadn't affected Alexis too badly if she was still focusing on meeting a woman and her cat.

Rick stood up from where he'd been sitting on the edge of her bed and walked over to shut off the lights.

"I love you," he told her before he left, keeping the door cracked.

"I love you, too!" She called loud enough to be heard through the door.

Rick smiled to himself. This is what he loved most in his crazy, wonderful life.

Xx

Kate clumsily unlocked her front door and opened it with great difficulty as she tried to juggle all the bags as well as the kitten. The first thing she did was ready the litter box and set him in it so he'd know where it was. Next, she found the new food and water bowls she'd just purchased and fill them up before placing them on the floor in the kitchen, out of the way so she wouldn't trip on them later.

She did, however, promptly trip over the kitten, who'd wound himself around her legs, meowing.

"What is it, little one?" She asked as she reached down to pet him. He just cried in response, rubbing his head against her hand.

Kate loved on him a few minutes more before deciding she needed a shower. She padded through her room and into the adjoining bathroom, shutting the door behind her. She could hear him scratching at the door and crying to be let in. Kate turned on the shower, and the sound muffled his little cries so she didn't feel quite as bad.

15 minutes later when Kate opened that door, the kitten lay curled up, sleeping. She couldn't help but smile a little at how adorable the little fur ball was before stepping around him, and crossing towards her dresser to find pajamas. In the end, she slipped into her favorite worn leggings and was pulling on an old, loose sleep shirt as heard her front door open.

She walked out to see Will, two Chinese take out bags in hand.

"Will!" She said, surprised. "Did I know you were coming tonight?"

Kate had a habit of forgetting when Will was or wasn't crashing at her place. They lived together. Sort of. They both had hectic schedules that hardly ever coincided. If one wasn't busy, the other most certainly was. It could be frustrating at times, but for the most part, Kate liked it that way. With such sporadic and usually unreliable schedules, she was able to maintain a sense of independence and space.

"No, but I thought I'd surprise you!" He told her with a big smile. "I brought you your favorite!" Will held up one of the take out bags.

"That was really thoughtful of you." Kate said as she wandered over to give him a quick kiss. "I actually kind of have a surprise for you too.." Kate was talking about the kitten and as if on cue, the kitten came wandering out of her room and rubbed up against Kate's leg.

"Kate, what the hell is that?" Will demanded.

"Oh, just some mythical beast I happened to stumble upon." She said, voice dripping with sarcasm. "It's a kitten, Will, what does it look like?" Kate bent down to scoop him up. "Isn't he cute?"

"_Very_." Will reached out to pet him, only to pull his hand back when the kitten began to growl. "Oh, sweet too, I see."

"He just doesn't know you yet." Kate set him on the ground. The kitten sat on his haunches, eyeing Will as his tail flicked back and forth in agitation.

Kate followed Will as he made his way into the kitchen.

"You know I'm allergic, right?" He asked as he started pulling plates down from the cabinet.

Kate's stomach dropped in disappointment. She hadn't thought about that.

"Not like, deathly allergic though, right? You can take Benadryl or something?" She watched as Will turned around to give her his _you've got to be kidding me face._

"Tell me this is temporary, Kate. You're cat sitting or keeping him until you find him a home?"

Kate's eye brows raised slightly and she scrunched her nose. "Actually, I think it's more on the permanent side.." Her voice trailed off as she took in Will's reaction.

He sighed heavily. "C'mon, let's just sit down and have some dinner. We can figure the rest out later."

Kate stepped in closer so she could hug him. "So, you're not mad?" She said as she pulled back to look up at him.

He sneezed. "No, I'm not mad. I am, however, allergic to his fur. I'm gonna just go find some Benadryl real quick."

Kate breathed a sigh of relief. Well, the hard part was over and he took it surprisingly well- bar the fact that he was allergic..

Kate carried their plates to the table and took her seat. The kitten wandered over and looked up at her. He stretched out his paws, not even reaching the bottom part of her seat. Kate looked around for Will, not seeing him, she snatched up the kitten and placed him in her lap where he laid down contentedly. She knew she shouldn't encourage bad habits like this, but he was just too cute to refuse. She'd worry about breaking all the bad habits later. While she continued to wait for Will, Kate started brainstorming names. She smiled as she remembered the little girl telling her to name him after one of the many cats featured in Disney movies. Kate was pulled from her thoughts when Will sat down.

"Sorry, took me a while to find some."

"To be honest, I'm a little surprised I had any." Kate couldn't remember ever having needed Benadryl in the past and she couldn't remember purchasing it in the first place, but she felt grateful nonetheless.

Kate asked about his day and politely listened as he talked about this and that, yet never saying much at all. When he was done, he looked up at Kate.

"So, how exactly did you find yourself adopting a cat?"

Kate laughed before recounting the tale she'd perfected by now, first talking about finding him at the scene, then her trip to the pet store and finally meeting Richard Castle. She expected him to be amused by the random ways of the universe and her meeting her favorite author after helping his kid. Instead she was startled by the loud clatter of his silverware hitting the plate and when she looked up, Kate was surprised to see Will looked very upset.

"Did he say anything or come on to you in any way, Kate?" He asked, looking at her intently.

"I mean, yeah, he asked me out but of course I turned him down. This is definitely not something to get jealous over, Will." Kate said as rolled her eyes. Will was generally an even keeled guy, never one to get possessive or overbearing, but every now and again he was prone to jealous bouts.

Will shook his head, "This has nothing to do with jealousy. He's dangerous. Please promise me you'll stay away from him."

Kate snorted, "You're being ridiculous, Will. We live in Manhattan, do you know the odds of ever crossing paths with him again? Like, a million to one. Besides, I don't see what the big deal is would you ever say he's dangerous? He's a writer for crying out loud."

"It's..nothing."

Kate watched him fixedly, searching.. When he averted his eyes, she knew. She knew something was up and he wasn't telling her.

"What?" She demanded. "What is it?Because clearly it isn't nothing, and you can't just say he's dangerous and the not tell me why."

Will picked up his napkin and wiped his face. "Nothing, Kate."

"Mm, no, you see.. I've learned to read people, just like you have, and you're good, but you're not that good. You're keeping something from me. Tell me what it is."

"Kate.." He said, trying to deflect.

"Uh, uh. Don't Kate me. You tell me or I swear I will go track him down and pound on his front door just to spite you." Kate wasn't above making threats or doing whatever she could to weasel out whatever it was she was sure Will was hiding from her.

Will closed his eyes tightly and massaged his temples with one hand. He knew Kate would do exactly what she said she would. She was just that hardheaded and persistent as hell.

"Richard Castle is suspect in a string of murders."

Whatever it was she had thought his secret had to do with, it certainly wasn't that. She choked on some food and took a minute to regain composure.

"What? What are you talking about?" Her words came out sounding strangled as a result of her choking only a moment prior.

"I'm not supposed to say. It's supposed to be kept under the wraps because it's considered 'high profile.'"

"To hell with high profile! What do you mean he's suspect?! You don't mean to tell me you actually think he is capable of murder!" Kate was in denial. There was simply no way. She'd met the man, and he was not a killer.

"By suspect I mean number one suspect. All the evidence points to him. He will go down for this. It isn't a matter of if, only of when. We can't do it too soon, we've got to be sure it's an airtight case. He has enough money to buy all the lawyers in New York and we can't afford to let him get off." Will really shouldn't be sharing this with her. NYPD or not, she was not in the FBI and therefore not privy to the information he was giving.

"You can't be serious. I met the man, Will. He is not a killer!" Kate could feel herself growing angrier with Will's demeaning manor in which he was fielding her questions.

"Oh, so, in the five minutes you spent with the guy, you're able to determine that he isn't a killer? Now, whose being ridiculous, Kate? You're not looking at this objectively. You can't see beyond the fact that he is a celebrity as well as your favorite author. The evidence is incriminating, all the murders were staged after those in his books. Think about it, Kate, he has written about murder for years, it wouldn't be all that much of a leap to begin carrying them out in real life. I don't understand why you're so angry about this."

"You're damn right I'm angry. How have you not mentioned this before? And can you say without a shadow of a doubt that he's behind them?" Kate herself didn't know why she was reacting so strongly, she just felt an overwhelming sense of injustice, like something was off.

"What do you want from me, Kate? I'm with the FBI and you're with the NYPD. It had nothing to do with you that's why it's never been brought up. It's a hush-hush case, I wasn't supposed to even say anything. And there are some.. discrepancies, but.."

That was all Kate needed. "Well, do you have anyone looking into these discrepancies? Are you even slightly concerned you might actually have it all wrong? Or are you looking to wrap this up in a nice little package because it'd just be the easier thing to do?"

"Kate, this discussion is over." Will said, as he pushed his chair back from the table and walked into the kitchen, carrying his plate.

Kate blinked in surprise at the rude dismissal and hastily pushed her own chair back and causing the kitten to leap to the floor. She stormed into the kitchen, "Like hell this conversation is over!"

Will just shook his head, refusing to engage. "I'm gonna go. Let you cool off. Call me when you're thinking straight."

He kissed her cheek as she stood there stiffly. Kate didn't move until she'd heard the door click shut and the lock slide into place.

When Kate fell into bed an hour or so later, her mind continued to buzz, rehashing the entire conversation over and over and over again. Sure, she'd only spent a brief few minutes with the guy, but she just knew he wasn't capable of committing the heinous acts he was being accused of. She wondered if she should get involved.

_Yes._

_No._

_Yes._

Kate was suddenly reminded of her mother, of her mission to help those who couldn't help themselves and her belief that truth conquers all.

Kate's stomach settled and the knots in her chest loosened. She'd figured out the right thing to do, and tomorrow she'd set about doing it.

Kate had been lying there for a few minutes when she heard the kitten repeatedly try to claw his way up the bed. Kate leaned over and called the kitten over so she could scoop him up. As soon as she set him on the bed, he clambered onto Kate and settled on her chest and started purring softly.

Kate fell asleep rubbing the kitten's ears, thinking about how glad she was to have kept him.

**A/N: back by popular demand! **

**Okay, a few things, friends! **

**-first and foremost, my priority remains to be my other story- because you see, me and the characters, after 20 chapters, we're like ****_this_**** (crosses fingers). **

**-secondly, I was blown away by your guys' responses and it is only because of them was I prompted to crank out a second chapter.**

**-thirdly-this is a big one, people, listen up! Thirdly, I'm a new writer. Before IAWM, I'd never written a story just for fun. This is my first time trying to juggle two stories, two sets of characters (same, yet different presentations in personality), two plot lines, so.. Please, be kind. I will do my best to make sure these stories aren't too similar, I want it to be interesting for you all. **

**-lastly, I've obviously decided to continue this story, but there is a catch. I noticed some of you have favorited/followed/reviewed my other story at some point and I would like to know if you're still reading it or gave up on it. If you have given up on it, I'd love to know why, so I can do my best to make sure it doesn't happen with this story. Let me know what's working and what's not! It is surprisingly helpful. **

**One last big thank you to you lovely readers! Xx **


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**_DISCLAIMER: I most definitely do not own Castle_**

Kate couldn't believe she was spending her day off stalking her favorite author. Never in a million years had she ever imagined she'd sink to this level. It did make her feel a little better that it was for a good reason and not simply because of an out of hand obsession. Under normal circumstances, Kate would have just looked up his address and info in the system but due to his assumed involvement in an open investigation, she knew she couldn't without alerting anyone about her sticking her nose where it wasn't wanted. She had no doubts that Will had flagged his name in the system and was taking every precautionary measure to ensure no one stumbled on or ruined the case he was building because that's exactly what she would have done. Will was nearly as good at doing his job as she was at doing hers; she only hoped that this would prove true in her plight to clear Richard Castle. Kate knew Will was going to make things even more challenging and that by doing this she was potentially risking their relationship. But, Kate never was one to turn down a challenge And there was a lot riding on this.

Kate checked the watch on her wrist and saw that it was two minutes until 9. _He should be here anytime now_.. Kate looked through the large windows of the bookstore to see the people were queuing like crazy and the line already wrapped around and around the aisles inside. A book signing had been the only way Kate could think of to find Richard Castle. She had easily pulled up his scheduled appearances online and was pleased to see there had been a book signing scheduled for this very morning. Kate hadn't, however, thought of what she'd do after nailing down his location. She looked at the bustling street around her and back through the windows, wondering how to proceed. She couldn't very well crash his book signing. No, what she needed to do was figure out a way to get him alone so she had the opportunity to at least exchange numbers or set up some other meeting..

Kate finally resolved that she would figure it out once she got inside and got a lay of the store. She opened the doors and was barely able to squeeze past people, constantly throwing out assurances that yes, she was aware everyone was waiting for Richard Castle's book signing and no, she wasn't in fact trying to jump the line. She wandered down a few aisles and worked her way closer to where he'd be. She craned her neck around a shelf only to see his table was empty. Kate's eyes traveled the length of the cordoned off area and noticed there were several employees posted along the length to ensure no one attempted to sneak through. She briefly entertained the idea of just flashing her badge to gain access but quickly dismissed it, worrying that it might garner some unwanted attention or prompt questions. Kate was either going to have to somehow get his attention during his signing or wait until it was finished and attempt to follow him.

She was pulled from her scheming by the sudden screams and shrieks. Kate looked over to see the line move as people pushed and shoved, trying to catch a glimpse of the man they'd all been waiting for. Kate scoffed to herself, thankful she hadn't acted like a fool when she'd met him yesterday. But, then she looked over to the table for herself and felt her stomach drop and her heart accelerate. There he was, standing before his table with his charming grin as he waved to the adoring crowd, and damn, he looked _good_.

She wondered how she'd managed to string together coherent sentences yesterday, let alone maintain her cool composure. _Did that even happen?!_

Kate paced the aisle several times, craning her neck around the end each time only to see he was too wrapped up in what he was doing. After maybe ten minutes, Kate stopped and watched as he'd chat with people and scrawl his name across the pages, all the while keeping that smile of his plastered on his face. It was no wonder his books sold as well as they did; he had perfected the art of charm and was personable with his fans. Sometimes too personable.

She rolled her eyes as she watched him flirt with a fan here and there; always blonde and always leggy. _Ugh, men.. All the same. _

Kate continually tried to catch his eye but to no avail. _Don't people normally have a sixth sense or something that tells them when someone is staring?!_ She thought to herself, thoroughly frustrated. _This is never going to work. _She decided she was going to have to figure something else out and before she turned to walk away, she cast one last fleeting look his way only to find her gaze lock with his.

He'd glanced up from a book he'd been signing when a movement in his peripherals had caught his attention. He did a double take and found himself staring at the same woman who'd so casually turned him down the day before. She was tucked away in the corner, completely separate from the mad line of people crowding the center aisle. He felt the smirk on his face and the familiar sense of triumph wash over him. He knew it was impossible for anyone to actually resist him.

Kate's body had stilled the moment their eyes had locked and once she was certain she had his attention she nodded her head a little, attempting to convey she needed to see him. She saw him nod imperceptibly as he turned back to the woman in front of him.

The smirk was not lost on Kate and she could feel herself bristle in annoyance. _I wish he'd wipe that smug grin off his face. He probably thinks this is me coming back to take him up on that date. Arrogant, arrogant, arrogant._

It was about another five minutes or so before he stood and turned to his assistant, whispering something in her ear. She watched as he walked down the raised platform and disappeared from her line of sight. She heard the sighs of dismay as someone announced that Richard Castle would be taking a short break. Kate remained where she was, grateful to have found a secluded spot so she wasn't forced to mingle with some of the more obnoxious fans. She waited, her eyes scanning the area he'd just disappeared to, thinking he might try to signal her somewhere else.

"I knew you couldn't resist me."  
Kate whipped around, startled. She had been so hyper focused on what she'd been doing she hasn't noticed his presence until she'd felt his hot breath as he'd whispered in her ear. She took a step back to put a little distance between them only to feel the press of a bookshelf in her back.

Rick was amused by her startled expression and her hesitant step backwards. He brazenly took another step forward and placed one hand on the shelf just above her shoulder, effectively pinning her. He raised his eyebrows ever so slightly as if to prompt her into speaking.

"I, uh," she cleared her throat. "I can assure you, whatever it is you're thinking I'm here for, you're wrong." Her voice had started out a bit shaky but evened out and regained strength as she pulled herself together. Her heart had been kick started when he'd startled her, and had only managed to become more erratic with his close proximity; it was all she could do to keep her composure.

"Mm, oh, really?" He asked in a low voice, his eyes twinkling as he drew even nearer.

"Yeah, really." She said fiercely, her eyes boring into his. "It's actually very seri-" she was cut off as his lips crashed into hers. His hand had moved from the shelf to cup her cheek as he continued to move his lips against hers, teasing, playing, coaxing.

It was a struggle between her head and her heart; reason and want vying for fulfillment. She frantically reached for her thoughts as they scattered with each passing second their lips remained fused together.

_No, no, this is wrong. So wrong._ She thought as an image of Will leapt into mind. Kate tore her lips from his and she shoved him away roughly. She narrowed her eyes and glowered at him, it was all she could do not to wipe the back of her sleeve across her mouth like a child.

"What the hell?" She hissed.

"Helluva kiss," he breathed out.

"Maybe for you." Kate shot back. "Ugh, I can't believe I came all this way and am going through all of this trouble just to help _you_. Now I'm wondering if I should even bother."

Rick went to shoot something back before the words settled in, causing him to pause.

"Help me? What do you mean?"

"Oh, are you going to let me explain this time or are you going to rudely interrupt me again?" She said hotly.

"That depends.. Would it be possible to steal another kiss?"

Kate scowled. "I wouldn't try it."

"Mm, then I suppose there'll be no more interruptions.."

Kate's patience was waning. Hell of a kiss or not, she was sick of his cocky and presumptuous manner. She was really trying here to save his ass. Though Kate hardly knew him, she was quickly finding herself thinking he wasn't anything more than the ass chasing hot head depicted in the papers. The only thing keeping her here, was her absolute belief in doing the right thing. In this case, the right thing being saving him from going down for something she felt in her gut he wasn't responsible for.

"I came to warn you." She said the words slowly, trying to emphasize the seriousness of why it was she came.

She was relieved to see the flash of concern in his eyes and his face draw into one of confusion.

"Warn me?"

"The FBI is currently investigating a string of murders in which they believe you are responsible for. They are mounting a case as we speak, Mr. Castle. I can't stress enough how serious this is."

"What?! That's absurd! I would think that I would know if I were being investigated for a murder, and believe me when I say that I haven't so much as caught wind of any accusation like that."

"Murders, not murder." She corrected. "There's a reason for that. They believe they have sufficient evidence and are keeping it under wraps for the time being because with your wealth you can afford a whole slew of lawyers to tear the preliminary findings to pieces. They want it to be a surprise so you won't have time to react."

Rick ran his fingers through his hair and started to pace back and forth. "You're sure?" He asked, his voice cracking a little.

She nodded her head once as he continued to pace.

"I've gotta go. I've gotta cancel the remainder of this book signing and call my lawyer."

Kate grabbed his arm as he was turning to walk away. She placed both hands on his upper arms as her eyes drilled into his. "No. You absolutely cannot do that. You do anything out of the ordinary and they're going to be all over that. If you lawyer up, you look guilty. Please, trust me. I can fix this."

"I don't.. I.." Rick was at a loss for words. He felt like the floor had been ripped out from under him. He felt one of Kate's hands release the hold on his arm so she could check her watch.

"We really don't have a lot of time. I hadn't even meant to tell you any of this here. I was supposed to just give you my contact info so we could set up something else...I'm sorry I just kind of threw that on you." She murmured apologetically.

Kate was actually feeling pretty bad for him now. He'd lost that smirk that had only moments ago annoyed her and she hated how his shoulders slumped and his eyes had grown dim.

"Really. I can fix this. I'm good at what I do." Kate told him confidently as she tried to reassure him with a smile.

When he finally met her eyes, all traces of bravado were gone and he stood before her, open and vulnerable. "Why-why are you helping me?"

"Because I know you didn't do it. Because I know it's the _right_ thing to do."

Rick opened his mouth to say something but was cut off before he could do so.

"Daddy?"

Both he and Kate turned to see Alexis standing some feet away, looking unsure.

Rick cleared his throat and stepped away from Kate. "Yeah, honey?"

Alexis' eyes flicked hesitantly from Kate back to her father before she answered. "They told me to come and find you. You're supposed to be back now." She explained.

"Okay, I'm coming."

"Hi, Kate." Alexis finally said with a shy smile.

"Hey, Alexis. Good to see you." Kate told her warmly.

"C'mon, pumpkin, let's go." Rick held out his hand for his daughter to take.

"Oh, Mr. Castle, wait!" She called out, suddenly remembering something. Kate hastily pulled out her card that she'd put in her pocket specifically for this reason. She handed it to him, instructing him to call her sometime soon so they could figure things out.

Rick took the card. "Thank you. And, please, call me Rick."

Kate merely smiled in return and watched as they started to walk away. She trailed behind them a few seconds later, catching snippets of their conversation.

"But, daddyyy. I don't want to go back there. It's boring. I'm all by myself." She whined.

Kate couldn't quite make out everything what Rick was saying but she assumed he was doing his best to placate his daughter.

"I wanna go home." Kate heard the girl say with a twinge in her voice, as though she were near tears.

Kate felt horrible that Rick had so much on his plate right now. She'd just dropped a bomb on him in the middle of a book signing and now he was having to deal with his unhappy child on top it all. She couldn't imagine it was easy for him to drag his daughter to these things- just look at what happened yesterday, his daughter had ended up with her at a freaking pet store.

"Hey, Mr. Castle.. I mean, Rick." She called out, waiting until he had turned.

"I can take her. If you want, I mean... You still have like, two hours.. You shouldn't have to worry about your daughter on top of all of this."

Rick hesitated. He didn't want to ask anything more of Kate. He'd made a total ass of himself and yet she still wanted to help.

"I couldn't possibly ask anything more of you, Kate."

"You're not asking, I'm offering. There's a difference." She smiled at him and turned to look at Alexis. "What do you say, Alexis? Mind spending some time with me? My apartment's not too far, if it's okay with your dad we can walk back and go see the kitten!"

Alexis was sold on the word kitten. She looked up at her father imploringly. "Please, daddy? Please?"

He looked from his daughter's face back to Kate's. "That's okay by me!" He said with the first genuine smile she'd seen.

Kate grinned and leaned down to pick up the girl. If they were going to brave the thicket of people to get out, she'd rather she have her in her arms. Alexis didn't object to being held and linked her arms around Kate's neck and smiled back at her dad.

"Bye, daddy. Love you."

"Love you, too." He told her before making eye contact with Kate.

"I don't know how to thank you. Really, Kate. And I'm sorry..about earlier.." He said, clearly referring to the kiss.

Kate debated with herself for a minute before deciding to allow him her honest response.

"Don't be." She said as she gave him an impish grin. "I'm not."

**A/N: tis been a while, folks! My apologies.. **

**just to be clear- I'm looking to wrap up this FBI nonsense in a chapter or two... It won't be central to this story's plot line, it was only a beginning.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

**DISCLAIMER: I most definitely do not own Castle**

"Do you wanna walk now?" Kate asked Alexis hesitantly after they'd exited the packed bookstore.

Alexis wavered for a moment, delaying her response. She _liked_ being held; it was nice. Being in Kate's arms felt comfortable, familiar almost, even though she hardly knew the woman. From the moment she had met Kate, Alexis was in awe. She'd never quite met anyone like her and the desire for a connection of any sort was both overwhelming and confusing. Alexis tried to shake herself of the neediness.

"Yeah, I can walk now." She replied softly.

Kate knelt to set her down carefully. Alexis waited for Kate to start walking before she trailed behind dutifully.

"It isn't too far.. It's maybe 20 minutes, is that okay, Alexis?" Kate asked, turning her head to stare at the girl walking beside her.

"Yeah, that's okay." Alexis responded, head still down and wrapped up in her own thoughts.

The two walked side by side in complete silence, neither knowing what to say. Alexis felt like she was about to burst with all the questions she held inside but she was too shy to ask. She didn't understand how she found herself walking home with a woman she had just met the day before. Her father never entrusted her with people he barely knew, so what made Kate any different?

So consumed in her own thoughts and focusing on counting her steps between the cracks in the pavement, Alexis hadn't noticed that the people around her had stopped walking. She stepped off of the curb, completely oblivious to the oncoming traffic.

"ALEXIS!"

She'd heard the frantic voice a split second before she'd felt the force of a hand wrapped around her arm, wrenching her backwards. She looked up in alarm to see Kate's panic stricken face. The hand on her arm still gripped her painfully tight as she watched Kate's head whip around to yell at the cab driver. Alexis' heart thudded loudly and felt constricted in her tiny rib cage. With wide eyes she watched Kate continue to shout obscenities after the cabbie and threatening to report him. It was only after he had disappeared from view that Kate turned to face Alexis.

"Are you okay?" She asked, her voice a little gruff voice as her eyes cast over the girl's body worriedly.

Alexis gave a shaky nod.

"You've gotta be more careful." Kate chided before adding, "I'm sorry I yelled."

"It's okay." Alexis said softly, her eyes fixed on Kate's.

Just then the light switched and the crosswalk sign began to flash. The people around them pushed past, in a hurry to get wherever it was they were going. Kate's grip on Alexis' arm loosened just enough to slide her hand down to grasp her hand. She interlocked their fingers and tugged the girl on.

Alexis gripped her hand tightly, grateful for the sense of comfort. Her little scare had left her sensory input feeling a little fried. Where before she had been consumed in a world of her own, oblivious to her surroundings, she was now hyperaware of what was going on around her. She paid close attention to the cars whirring by on the street, she was careful to watch the stop lights and even the flurry of movement of the people around her. She felt flooded with relief when they turned onto a less busy street with empty sidewalks.

"Are we close?" She asked, looking up at Kate.

"Not too much further!" Kate promised with a smile. Alexis had felt the hand around hers loosen as they'd turned on to the calmer street but she still refused to fully relinquish her own grasp.

It wasn't even five minutes more before they were pulling open the doors of one of the buildings and waiting for the elevator. Alexis kept glancing at Kate out of the corner of her eye, the novelty of the situation still not having worn off. Alexis waited patiently as Kate dug the keys from her purse to unlock the front door.

As soon as the door swung open, they were met with the loud cries of the kitten. He came racing over and immediately wove in between Kate's legs as he continued to cry.

"Aw! He's so cute!" Alexis said with a big grin painted across her face. Alexis promptly plopped down on her bottom and stuck her hand out as she made kissing noises to call him over. The kitten was sitting on his haunches, eyes lazily flicking from the girl back up to Kate. He finally moved towards the girl only after having received a subtle nudge with Kate's foot.

Alexis was delighted with the small kitten and scooped him up gently the first chance she got. She scratched behind his ears and then rubbed under his chin until she was rewarded with the soft motorboat purring of a content cat. After a few minutes, Alexis set the kitten down and stood up, wondering where Kate had disappeared to.

"Kate?" She called out as she took a few slow steps further.

"In here!" Came the muffled response. Alexis moved towards the sound of her voice, the kitten trotting after her.

"Kate?" She called again, poking her head into what looked to be her bedroom. It was empty, or so she thought until she saw Kate's head pop up from the other side of the bed.

"Right here!"

Alexis hesitated at the door. "Can I come in?" She asked politely only to be met with a quizzical look from Kate.

"Of course you can come in, silly!"

Alexis stepped in the room, slowly swiveling her head to take it all in. She felt the room to be a very good representation of Kate, or at least how she thought of her- warm and inviting. The walls were painted a soft neutral color and there was very little decoration, just enough to prevent the room from seeming completely bare. The bed was messily made, though it felt as though it were on purpose to lend a more natural appearance to the room as a whole instead of everything feeling overly contrived.

Alexis walked to the end of the bed and peered around the corner to find Kate seated on the floor with a pile of cat toys in her lap. The area around her was strewn with wrappings and torn packages.

"What are you doing?" Alexis asked her as she sat down next to her.

"Oh, I bought all of these toys yesterday but hadn't opened any of them yet. I figured you might like to play with the kitten.." She trailed off as she tried to wrestle open one of plastic packages. It finally opened with a pop that sent the foam balls flying in several directions.

This sent the kitten diving beneath the bed after one of the balls causing Alexis and Kate to break into laughter. The ball came shooting back out with the kitten hot on its trail. It rolled to a stop a foot or so away and the girls watched as the kitten crouched low, pressing himself close against the hardwood floor. His tail twitched back and forth a few times before he wiggled his butt and pounced on the ball.

Kate and Alexis erupted into laughter again as he rolled onto his back, clenching the ball in his front paws and biting it. They watched as he batted it away only to pounce on it again. Alexis watched Kate pick up one of the balls that had landed in her lap and toss it into the air. It landed perfectly on the top of his head and startled him so badly he leapt into the air and spat angrily, only to find the perpetrator had been another ball. He wasted no time batting this ball and sending it flying.

"Whoa, he's kinda crazy.." Alexis said as watched him tear across the room only to come shooting back to dive on one of the balls, his momentum causing him to slide across the floor for an additional few feet.

"He is a little wild." Kate agreed as she began to gather up all the trash that littered the floor. She placed it all in one of the plastic bags and tied it shut.

"I'm going to go throw this away and then I've gotta make a few phone calls, okay? Play with whatever you'd like, I'm sure he will love any of these toys. Oh, especially.." Kate broke off as she knelt down to dig around the pile of toys. "This!" She finished, pulling out a laser pointer and handing it to Alexis.

Alexis took it, flashing Kate a smile. Kate started to walk out of the room but then stopped and turned to look at the girl, a thought suddenly occurring to her.

"Just don't shine it in his eyes or anything... Or your eyes either for that matter.."

Alexis rolled her eyes and giggled. "I know."

Kate started to leave the room again but this time Alexis stopped her.

"Hey, wait! Does he have a name yet?"

Alexis took in Kate's sheepish half smile. "Uhm, well... Not yet! I'm still thinking."

Alexis just nodded her head and watched as Kate left the room. For the next ten minutes or so, Alexis kept herself entertained playing with the kitten. This was really the first time she'd ever been able to spend so much time with a kitten that wasn't inside a pet store and she was loving it. He had so much energy and was relentless when it came to the laser pointer. Alexis would point it at the floor and then drag it up the wall in one swift motion and the kitten would do his best to scale the ninety degree surface.

Alexis' favorite thing to do though was inch the red dot slowly across the floor and watch as the kitten stalked it. As soon as he'd pounce, she'd release the button and watch as the kitten would carefully lift one paw and then the other before becoming confused, his head darting this way and that in search of the blasted red dot.

Alexis wandered out of Kate's bedroom, following the sound of Kate's voice. She was excited to show her how the kitten would try to climb the wall and how confused he would get if you made him think he caught it. She drifted into the living room, mindful to be quiet when she noticed Kate was still on the phone.

Alexis stood there in front of Kate, patiently waiting.

She let out a startled gasp when she felt the kitten start to climb her pant leg, apparently he was still on a terror. She bent down to grab him only to find Kate had been quicker. With the phone still cradled between her shoulder and her ear, Kate had leaned forward and snagged the kitten by the scruff of his neck and relocated him to the spot next to her on the couch. Alexis watched as Kate continued her conversation while scowling at the kitten, as though she could reprimand him solely with the use of her eyes.

"Sorry!" She mouthed silently to Alexis. Alexis shrugged a shoulder in return and sat on the other side of Kate, looking down as she swung her feet.

"No, no, no. Listen, I need to know everything they've got. And I mean everything, Espo. We're going to work these as though they were our own cases." Kate fell silent for a moment, listening to the person on the other line.

"Yeah, I know it's in the FBI's jurisdiction. That's not the point." Again she fell silent and Alexis could faintly make out the garbled voice of whoever she was talking to. "Espo, could you just, like, shut it for five seconds? Thank you. If we don't do this there is a high risk that an innocent man will be convicted for crimes he didn't commit. Do I think the FBI is incompetent? No, not always. Definitely in this instance. How do I know? I can just feel it, okay? Now, can I count on you or what?" Kate paused for a few beats before releasing a sigh of relief. "Thanks, Espo. I owe ya one. Just make sure that whatever you do, no one finds out about this okay? Best thing we've got goin for us is the element of surprise. Yeah, I know. Will's gonna flip. Let's just worry about this first, okay? I'll deal with Will. Yeah, just call me when you've got everything." Kate finally disconnected the call and looked over at the girl sitting next to her.

"What's up?"

"Oh, I just wanted to show you something with the laser pointer!" Alexis told her excitedly before leaping to her feet.

"Are you watching?" She asked, looking over at Kate who was nodding her head.

"I'm watching!" She reassured with a smile.

First Alexis showed her how worked up the kitten would get with the disappearing dot. Alexis grinned as she heard Kate laugh, proud to have caused it, at least in part.

"Now, watch this!" Alexis began dragging the light quickly across the ground a few times, getting the kitten to chase it. Once she felt sure he was in that mind set, she shot the light up one of the walls in the living room and the two watched as the kitten tried to do the impossible. Alexis left the dot hovering a ways up, causing the kitten to sit at the base of the wall to stare up at it. He finally backed away and gave one last running leap at the wall. On his way down, he clipped the side table, knocking it hard enough to jar a vase that had been situated on it.

It rocked as though in slow motion before finally tumbling to the ground and shattering, sending the kitten running to hide under the coffee table.

In the moment Alexis had known the vase would fall, she felt her stomach give a sickening lurch. _Please don't let it break, please don't let it break_. She pleaded over and over again. When it did crash to the ground and break into tiny pieces, she felt tears prick her eyes.

"Kate, I'm so sorry! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to!" She exclaimed as she followed Kate over . Alexis felt her bottom lip starting to quiver and the threat of imminent tears. She felt absolutely awful.

Kate placed a hand on Alexis' shoulder and pulled her into her side, rubbing her back.

"It's okay, Alexis! It's not a big deal. Really. I didn't even like the vase." She confessed. The vase had been given as a gift from Will and she only had it displayed after he'd guilted her into it. Kate actually felt relieved at its destruction.

She turned to go get the broom and dust pan but stopped when she saw the tears that continued to well up in Alexis' eyes.

"Oh, honey, don't cry!"

Alexis felt herself grow rigid as she felt Kate's arms wrap around her, afraid the contact would make her tears fall. She finally relaxed into the hug and moved her own arms around Kate's neck.

"You're not mad?" She whispered.

Kate pulled away. "No, I am not mad. I hated that ugly vase anyway. And besides, if I were mad at anyone, it'd be at the dumb cat, okay?"

Kate felt relieved when Alexis giggled at the dumb cat remark. She stood with Alexis in her arms and walked over to set her on the couch.

"I'm just going to clean up the mess. Don't walk over there with your bare feet, I don't want you to step on a shard of glass."

Kate turned to go and nearly tripped over the kitten who'd finally crawled out from under the coffee table.

"Here," she said as she dropped him into Alexis' lap. "He'll keep ya company." Alexis smiled gratefully and the kitten promptly curled up in her lap, purring.

Alexis watched as Kate carefully cleaned up all the glass, unknowingly missing something.

"You missed something." Alexis said, pointing a finger.

"Where?" Kate asked, searching the ground for any place she may have missed.

"There's something underneath the" Alexis began before she stopped, deciding it would be easier to just show her. She nudged the kitten off her lap before moving towards the table the vase had fallen from. Alexis kneeled and peeked under the table, her long hair falling to curtain her face. She reached out a hand and patted around until she found what had been peeking out of the back corner.

She pulled out the tiny velvet box and handed it to Kate.

"I could barely see it from where I was sitting. I think it was in the vase." She explained, watching Kate's face.

Kate's stomach gave an uneasy turn as her fingers closed around the square little box. She hoped it wasn't what she thought it was. She thought back to when Will had given her the vase. _What was it he said? Oh, yeah. 'One day I might actually put something in that vase for you.' He probably thought that was pretty clever. ugh. _She'd thought he'd been talking about flowers. Because, really, who gives someone a vase all on its own? No flowers? _Was the ring always in that vase? He had to have just put it in there recently, wouldn't she have known otherwise? How did I not know?!_

Kate shook her head. She was getting ahead of herself. For all she knew, it wasn't a ring in the box.. She slowly opened it up, her stomach giving one last mighty lurch. Inside lay a glittering engagement ring.

"Whoa.." Alexis' awed voice reminded Kate of her presence. She snapped it shut and quickly fled the room to tuck it away in a drawer somewhere where she wouldn't have to look at it.

She stowed in her bedside table and sat down heavily on the edge of her bed, placing her head in her hands. _Fuck_. Her mind was racing in too many different directions. Marriage. That's a big step. That's a step she wasn't nearly ready to contemplate. And not with Will. Definitely not with Will. Before the ring, she'd had brief moments in which she entertained the idea but then always cast it aside. But in the moment she'd seen the actual ring, she knew it wasn't what she wanted.

It felt like one of those things you didn't know you didn't want until it was actually right within your grasp.

_Ugh. And why now?_ Kate's mind ran wild with thoughts of Richard Castle and going behind Will's back and basically how in the course of 24 hours her life had pretty much imploded.

Kate flinched when she felt a small hand touch her leg. "Kate? Are you okay?"

She looked up at the hushed voice and was met with a worried gaze. She couldn't do this right now. There was no way she was going to have an emotional breakdown while she was responsible for looking after this little girl.

She cleared her throat. "Yeah, I'm fine." Kate glanced at the clock on her nightstand. "We've still got at least another 45 minutes until your dad is done.. What'dya say we see if there's something on tv?"

Alexis merely nodded her head in agreement and followed Kate back into the living room, her question about the ring dissolving in her mouth, leaving a bitter taste.

Kate dropped on the couch unceremoniously. She picked up the remote and clicked the tv on. She waited until Alexis had sat down next to her before she handed her the remote. Alexis shook her head.

"No, that's okay, you can pick."

Kate smiled a little, and tried to get the girl to take the remote. "I was going to let you pick- I'm just going to read a book right now anyway."

Alexis reluctantly took the remote and flipped through the channels until she'd found Disney. She looked up to watch Kate for a moment. Alexis knew she was upset. And she knew it had to do with the box. She just didn't understand _why_. Alexis didn't like how subdued it had made her.

Kate flipped a page, suddenly becoming aware of the girl's eyes on her. She looked over to see her frowning slightly.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

"Nothing. Nothing's wrong." Alexis fibbed before hastily turning back to watch the tv. Kate shrugged her shoulders a little and went back to reading. A few minutes later she felt a slight weight against her side as Alexis settled in more comfortably. It wasn't much longer before the kitten made his presence known by meowing loudly. Alexis readjusted to allow Kate to lean down to pick him up before relaxing again into Kate's side. The kitten moved from Kate's lap to curl up on Alexis' instead. He purred contentedly and dozed off.

With every passing minute, Kate was growing increasingly anxious for a phone call.

From Espo. From Rick. From both.

Her mood had shifted from one of despondency and unrest to a sudden burning need to be doing something- anything to silence the loudness of her mind. She wanted desperately to dive into the cases the FBI was building but it was difficult to begin to form a plan when she still remained in the dark in regards to what exactly it was they were up against. She needed this all to be over. To be done.

She needed to feel like her life wasn't spinning so madly out of control. Or at the very least, she needed it to slow down enough for her to catch up. Because as of now, Kate Beckett felt as though she were lost at sea, struggling to stay afloat.

**A/N: interesting little turn that I myself hadn't been anticipating..but guys,don't freak out! I will deal with Will sometime soon, I imagine. **

**someone asked for more kitten, so more kitten they received! **

**I'm hoping the next chapter will be the one in which everything in regards to the FBI case is laid to rest, but we'll see! These chapters write themselves. **


	5. Chapter 5

**_Chapter 5_**

**DISCLAIMER: I most definitely do not own Castle**

**if I found the time to write it, you can find some time to review it ;) **

Kate's hand hovered over the door handle as she cast one last scrutinizing glance around the area. She had taken precautionary measures so she knew she hadn't been followed but she didn't know whether or not his house was under surveillance. It was risky to do this at his place but less risky than if they'd done it at hers- any public places had automatically been out of the question. There would have been no way to carry out their clandestine meeting out in a public setting; it would make it all too easy for the FBI to access video feeds or talk to employees or witnesses and what she really didn't need was to be tied to Richard Castle in any way until they had a handle on this situation. Kate had been too paranoid to do it at her place on account of how the previous night had played out with Will. He was a bit of the wild card at the moment and it'd be just her luck to have him spontaneously drop by only to find her conspiring with a suspected murderer. So, when she'd returned Alexis to him yesterday, they'd decided his place was best as it was a secure building and would offer the most privacy.

Satisfied that everything appeared to be in order, Kate opened her car door and grabbed her bag that held all the necessary case files. She looked both ways and crossed the street, all the while on the lookout for unwanted spying eyes. When she walked through the doors of the stately building, she was stopped by security personnel.

"What can I do for you, Miss?" He asked with a friendly smile.

"I'm here to see Richard Castle." She said as she shifted the strap of her bag that had been slipping from her shoulder.

His eyes gave her a once over, as though attempting to size her up, unsure of what her business might be. "Name, please."

"Kate Beckett. He should be expecting me.." Kate told him as he turned to press a button on the adjacent wall.

Though he had his back turned and his voice lowered, Kate could hear what he was saying.

"Hi, Mr. Castle. I've got a woman down here by the name of Kate Beckett, says that-"

He was promptly cut off. "Send her up, thanks!"

He turned back around, smiling apologetically. "Sorry, it wasn't that I doubted you, I gotta do that for everyone- protocol, ya know?"

She flashed him a small smile before saying, "No worries, I understand completely."  
Kate then stepped past and pushed the button for the elevator. She could feel her pulse rise with each floor she passed. She didn't know why she felt so nervous..

When she knocked on the door, the nerves were almost too much. The door swung open and Kate was met with bright, blue eyes.

"Oh, I thought you would be my mom." Alexis' voice was tinged with disappointment. She stepped aside to let Kate in.

"Sorry to disappoint you, kid." Kate said with a small frown.

Alexis said nothing as she shut and locked the door before walking away only to be called back by Kate.

"Where's your dad?" Kate asked, feet frozen where she stood, afraid to venture further into the loft.

Before Alexis could answer though, the man in question strode into the room.

"Right here. Thanks for coming, Kate." He reached out to shake Kate's hand. "And I'm sorry we had to do it today. I hadn't been thinking about it being Mother's Day when I suggested it yesterday. I hope I'm not keeping you from any plans with your mother."

The smile that had appeared at Rick's presence faltered momentarily. She gently shook her head. "Not at all. The sooner this gets dealt with, the better."

Not knowing how to respond, Rick stood there dumbly, eyes searching hers. She cleared her throat after a few long moments.

"Is there a more ideal place to have this conversation?" She asked as she glanced around the room, her eyes lingering on Alexis.

"Oh, right. Of course! Uh, my office is this way." Kate followed him, her eyes wandering around the loft as they ventured to his office. She couldn't believe she was actually inside Richard Castle's loft..

Alexis trailed behind the two, curious as to why Kate was there. She felt completely thrown when her dad started to shut the door on her. Alexis gave him a puzzled look.

"Sorry, honey. Grown up talk. Your mom should be here any time now, so you won't have to entertain yourself for long, okay? I will come check on you in a bit- don't leave without saying goodbye, okay?"

Rick shut the door after his daughter nodded her head in affirmation. He turned to face Kate who was looking around the office, intrigued.

"So, where do we begin?" He asked as he rubbed his hands together.

She pulled the chair sitting in the corner and maneuvered it next to the one at his desk. She sat down and began pulling files from her bag. When she'd set them all on the table, she looked up, surprised to see Rick still standing by the door. She motioned to the chair next to hers. "Well, are you going to sit down or what?"

Rick crossed the room and lowered himself into his chair. He reached for one of the files only to have Kate's hand press down on his, preventing him from opening the first folder.

"Listen, here's how this is going to work. We will go over every aspect of these case files before you start asking questions or throwing out theories or suggestions, okay? Anything that comes from this discussion remains between us unless I say otherwise. I need to know that I've got complete control over this and you're not going to go running to the police with leads we come up with or your trying to solve this thing all on your own. What we are doing is technically not authorized and could cause some serious problems for me. So we do this my way and my way only. Got it?"

He met her intense gaze and nodded his head once in agreement. He then looked down at her hand still resting over his and his eyes nearly bugged out of his head. That definitely hadn't been there yesterday- he would have noticed.

"You got engaged?" His head snapping back up to look at Kate in utter disbelief.

Kate flushed in embarrassment, snatching her hand back and placing it in her lap. Her other hand immediately reached to start twisting the damn thing off.

"I forgot I ha- I meant to take it off." She sputtered as she leaned over to tuck it away in her purse. Kate didn't know how she could have forgotten to remove it though. That had been all she'd been thinking about since she'd put it on- all she had wanted to do was take it off.

-  
When Will had come home later that night, he had immediately noticed the missing vase and Kate could still hear his panicked voice calling through the apartment.

"Kate? Where'd that vase go?" Followed by a nearly frantic search through the living room, in hopes that it had simply been relocated.

She remembered how her heart had dropped when she'd heard him first step through the front door, how her stomach had knotted at his question. Kate could so clearly remember how leaden her feet had felt as they carried her from her room to where he was. She hadn't said anything at first, Kate needed only hold up the velvet box.

She'd watched his face pale ever so slightly. "How'd you find it?" His voice had been quiet and he'd remained rooted to the spot.

"The cat accidentally knocked over the vase." She explained.

His eyes had narrowed accusingly and he'd scowled at the slumbering kitten on the couch. "Stupid cat." He grumbled half heartedly.

Kate had sighed heavily, suddenly feeling extremely tired and wanting the conversation to end. "Don't blame the cat, Will."

They'd stared at each other warily for several minutes. Will had moved first. He'd walked over to her slowly, his eyes never leaving hers. He'd gently taken the box from her hand and slid it on the table before he looked back at her. She'd suddenly found his lips on hers, his body pressed flush against hers. She'd finally relented and allowed herself to get caught up in the heat of the moment, relieved at the reprieve from her difficult thoughts.

He'd carried her to bed where she yielded yet again to the intensity of his passion. It hadn't been enough though. Afterwards, he had promptly fallen asleep, his naked body still clutching at hers. She had laid awake, uncomfortable in his embrace. She felt smothered and a wave of discontent crashed over her. She'd shaken his arms from around her and rolled over to the edge of the bed, facing away from him. He'd thought it was the beginning of something new for them, but she knew it was the end. And, boy, did she feel alone. She'd stared into the darkness for hours it seemed, praying for morning to come. She had been exhausted and though she knew she needed sleep, it continued to evade her. The loneliness was overwhelming and the irony of it struck her that she could feel so lonely whilst sharing the bed with someone she'd once proclaimed to love.

Help finally came in the furry form of her four legged friend. His amber eyes had pierced the blackness of the room and she dropped an arm over the side of the bed, rubbing her fingers together to coax him over. When she'd lifted him up, he'd rubbed his little face against hers, stopping to lick her nose every so often He curled up under her chin and quickly fell fast asleep and Kate followed close behind, lulled by his soft purr.

She had woken the next morning to find Will staring at her, a lazy smile on his face. He must have been up for a while because she noticed he now had clothes on. When she couldn't take it anymore, she finally spoke.

"Listen.. Will..."

He stopped her by pressing a finger to her lips before he rolled over to reach for something on his nightstand. When he had rolled back, her stomach lurched at the sight of that box.

"This isn't how I wanted to ask you. I had imagined something big and romantic but I hadn't factored in a little hairball ruining the surprise." He laughed a little before continuing. "And I know you're scared and from the look on your face, yes isn't the answer hanging on the tip of your tongue. But, Kate.. You're letting your fears keep you from making the decision you really want to make. We are perfect for each other. I promise I will make you the happiest woman on this earth."

Kate's eyes had welled up with tears but it hadn't been because his words had moved her. It had been because he had never been more wrong. Because he couldn't see that it was over, that they had been leading up to this for some time now. It had been inevitable and for him to be so blind to that was crazy to her.

"Will- I.."

Again, he cut her off. "Don't answer now." He commanded as he popped the box open and plucked the ring from inside. He reached for her left hand and slipped the ring on her finger. "Wear the ring. Think about it."

And he'd leaned in and kissed her quickly before getting off the bed. "I've gotta go. I love you, Kate."

Kate had said nothing, waiting for the moment he left so she could take off the ring. But then Espo had called about the case files and she'd gotten ready in a hurry to go pick them up, and then she had to review them and then go to Rick's and there had seemingly been a million and one other things that had distracted her completely from that simple act of removing a piece of jewelry.

She was pulled back from the memory by the pressure of Rick's hand squeezing hers.

"You don't have to explain anything to me, Kate."

Even though he burned with curiosity and would have given anything to know who it was who'd been lucky enough to win over a woman like Kate. But, he could sense her desire for privacy and her reluctance to share anything that dealt with her personally.

He knew she was looking for a way out so he gave her one. "So, tell me about these cases."

He watched as she relaxed in her seat and released a sigh of relief. He didn't miss the grateful look she shot him before going into a no nonsense, business mode, turning to open the files and line photographs across the table.

Ricks stomach rolled as he looked at each of the photographs. The fact that someone was staging murders out of his books and thereby framing him made him nauseous. He turned to look at Kate who'd been watching his reaction carefully. He waited for her to begin the breakdown of each case. There were three in total.

"First one was Allison Tisdale. She was found at home, Two small caliber .22 gun shots to the chest, left her nude, but covered modestly with rose petals, and sunflowers covering her eyes, no sexual assault - right out of 'Flowers for Your Grave' and no fingerprints were recovered at the scene. Second one- Marvin Fisk, found in his office. He was murdered 2 weeks prior to Allison Tisdale. Strangled with a neck tie - right out of-"

"'Hell Hath No Fury'" Rick finished softly.

Kate nodded her head and appraised how he was holding up. He was clearly a little troubled by it all and no doubt desperate to prove he didn't do it.

"Right, and again, no fingerprints." She said before she pointed to the next victim. "Okay, so last one. Kendra Pitney found floating in a mid town residential swimming pool. Now, she was found with a knife in her back, but it's indicated in the notes that it was inserted postmortem, so that wasn't the actual cause of death, it was only added to stage it like 'Death of a Prom Queen.' And, I'm sure as you've already guessed, no fingerprints."

Rick looked away from the files and leaned back in his seat, sighing deeply. "Okay, what do we do next?"

"Now I propose we-"

The sound of a ringing cell phone interrupted her. Rick dug out the cell phone from his pocket to see it was Meredith calling.

"Alexis!" He shouted. It wasn't long before she came bursting into the room.

"Yes, daddy?"

He got up and held the phone out to her. "Your mom's calling, probably to say she's on her way."

She took the phone, answering it as she left the room.

"Okay, I'm sorry- what were you saying?"

"I was gonna say that I propose we start trying to find another suspect, someone that isn't you." She said as she gave him a dry look.

"Ha, ha, very funny. How do we go about doing that?"

"Well, who would want to frame you? Can you think of anyone that would be willing to go to such extremes? I think an obvious avenue to pursue would be your fan base, people that have read your books."

"Kate, a lot of people have read my books." He hoped that she had a better plan than that.

"Yes, I'm aware. You didn't let me finish. I was going to suggest we look into your fan mail. If they have a fixation on you to the point they'd reenact murders from your books, maybe they will have tried to reach out to you in the past."

Kate knew it was a long shot, but so far they had nothing and they were going to need to look into anything. The evidence that the FBI had was all circumstantial, she was surprised they appeared so hellbent on making the charges stick. But, then again, it wouldn't be the first time a case had been written off prematurely or inaccurately for the sake of convenience.

"And what exactly do we look for? A letter that says, 'hey my name is Mike Wasowski and I'm obsessed with you and to prove my adoration I shall kill people and stage them like the murders in your books?'"

The idea seemed crazy to him. A completely 1 in a million chance that it would be of any help at all.

Kate raised her eyebrows, amuses. "Mike Wasowski?"

Rick scoffed and rolled his eyes. "It was the first name I thought of. My six year old daughter and I watched that movie last night, give me a break, will ya? And you still didn't answer my question- what would we be looking for?"

"The odd sock. Anything that just doesn't quite fit or strikes us as suspicious.."

Rick started to say something before he heard the door to the office door open again. Alexis shuffled in with wide, puffy, red eyes. She handed the phone back to Rick, completely silent and turned to walk back out.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Rick called out but when she didn't stop he hurried to follow her. Kate strained to hear what was being said but they moved out of earshot, leaving Kate alone. She turned back to the files at hand and read through each of them again even though she'd already read them countless times over- she practically had them memorized.

It was nearly 10 minutes later before Rick came back in looking upset.

Kate's eyebrows knitted together in concern. "What? What is it?"

"Her own freaking mother bails on Mother's Day. Who does that?! Tell me, Kate. What kind of mother.." Rick was pacing in agitation.

Kate's eyes tracked him back and forth across the room. She didn't know what to say, what she _should_ say.

"I need to call her. Do you mind if we take a break from the case while I deal with this?"

Kate shuffled the papers back in the files and stacked them neatly before rising from her chair. "Of course." She made her way to the door. "I'm just gonna give you some privacy. Let me know when you're ready to get back to it." And with that she turned, shutting the door behind her.

She wandered towards the living room, wondering if she should try to go find Alexis. The thought of consoling her seemed a little daunting and she knew she'd be out of her depth but maybe she should try anyway. She received her answer when she found the girl sitting on the couch, staring at the black tv screen.

Kate sat down next to Alexis, unsure of how to begin. It was Alexis who spoke first though.

"Are you going to try to tell me it's okay, too? That there's always next year? That it doesn't mean my mommy doesn't love me?" Her voice was angry and when a tear escaped, she wiped it away furiously as she looked away from Kate's probing eyes.

"Do you want me to?" Kate asked softly.

"No!" That was the last thing Alexis wanted to hear. It didn't help- it never did. She hated when her dad said those things and she definitely didn't want to hear them from a woman she hardly knew.

"Then I won't." Kate said simply. She watched as Alexis looked up in surprise but then turned away again, positioning her body facing away from Kate.

Kate sat in silence, watching Alexis. She wanted to help but she didn't know how. Rejection hurt. It was something that became easier to deal with in time, but as a child, rejection could be devastating. And here was Alexis, trying to deal with it on her own.

_Stubborn, stubborn child._

And suddenly Kate thought of it.

"I finally decided on a name for the kitten." She waited a split second before she was gratified with the reaction she'd been hoping for.

Alexis turned slowly to face Kate. "Really?"

"Yep. Named him Toulouse." Kate said, giving the girl a big smile.

Alexis eyebrows scrunched together as she thought about it. "Like the orange kitten in Aristocats?" She asked with what sounded like a hint of excitement.

Kate felt a little triumphant to have distracted the girl enough to alleviate some of the heartache.

"Exactly like the orange kitten in Aristocats. You know, it wasn't my idea though. Some clever person told me I should name him after one of those cats.. If only I could remember who.."

Alexis giggled. "That was me, Kate! I told you that!"

"Oh, that was you?!" Kate pretended to be surprised before she got serious. "No, I'm just kidding. I knew it was you, how could I forget? It was a really good idea, Alexis. And I think the name suits him perfectly."

Alexis grinned at Kate, feeling proud. She stared at Kate for a moment as she debated whether or not to say what she wanted to say.

"I'm sad that my mommy isn't coming today. And mad. But mostly I just feel sad." Her eyes started to well up with tears again.

Kate reached out a hand and started to rub Alexis' back soothingly.

"It's okay to feel those things Alexis. I know I would feel mad and sad if I was you. You're entitled to those feelings."

Alexis didn't say anything and chose to sit there quietly with Kate still rubbing her back.

"Wanna hear something funny?" Kate asked after a few moments of silence had elapsed. She wanted to bring Alexis back up. She had been surprised when Alexis had shared how she was feeling and it had made her sad to hear how the girl voice how upset she was.

Alexis sniffled a little before answering. "Okay."

"I was taking a bath last night and Toulouse kept trying to jump up on the edge but I was afraid he'd slip and fall into the water so I kept pushing him away. Well, finally he gave up, or so I thought, and then five minutes later, out of nowhere he comes running and leaps up onto the edge. Only he missed the edge all together and fell into the water."

Alexis burst out laughing as she pictured it.

"I know," Kate smiled, "I was cracking up, too. The funniest part was he couldn't get out so I had to help him. And let me just tell you, he looks really, really funny when he's sopping wet!"

Alexis laughed again as she leaned her head against Kate's shoulder.  
She still felt sad but not as sad as she had before.

"Thanks, Kate."

"Anytime, kid, anytime."

**A/N: thought I'd have the case thing dealt with this chapter but it didn't work out that way.. **

**Just so everyone knows...I was super indecisive when it came to choosing a name for the damn cat. But, it turns out to be a fitting name that suits the personality I had imagined him to have.. **

**Anyway, hope you all are still enjoying it! **


	6. Chapter 6

**_Chapter 6_**

**_DISCLAIMER: I most definitely do not own Castle_**

* * *

_**This chapter is for ShannonJethroGideonCastleSnape- I really pushed to get it finished in time!**_

_**Happy, happy birthday, my friend! Hope you like this chapter. :) **_

* * *

As Kate sat in silence next to Alexis, she could faintly make out Rick's voice as he argued with Meredith over the phone. The corners of her mouth pulled down in a frown. She hardly thought it good for Alexis to overhear his angry words, muffled though they were. But, then again, what did Kate know when it came to what was in the best interest of a child? She certainly didn't have the experience to qualify her to pass any judgements- the only thing she'd ever had to look after was the kitten she'd just adopted and even that she found to be quite an unexpectedly large task.

Kate allowed another five minutes to pass, thinking with each passing minute that surely he would wrap up the call but it never seemed to end.

"He sounds really angry," murmured Alexis.

"I can imagine he'd be pretty upset.." Kate wasn't quite sure what to say. She felt awkward and intrusive being privy to such a private part of their lives. Kate had felt such sadness when she had seen how upset Alexis and was battling off a sense of helplessness over not being able to do anything for her, except simply be _there_.

Alexis looked at Kate out of the corner of her eye, studying her. She was different than all the other women she saw with her father. Alexis liked how well she listened, how she didn't ask her questions or try to push when she hadn't wanted to talk about it. She seemed to allow Alexis the option of sharing, but was okay if she chose not to.

Alexis twisted her hands in her lap anxiously. "They're fighting because of me," she said softly.

Kate could feel her frown deepen as her eyebrows knitted together. "They're fighting because of your mom, not because of you," she corrected. It suddenly seemed imperative to Kate that she stressed the importance that it wasn't Alexis' fault. She wanted the girl to be able to see that the blame lay on no one but her mother for breaking her word and flaking on their plans.

Kate saw the way her eyes churned with emotion and the way she seemed to battle with her words. Kate would venture a guess that this wasn't something Alexis enjoyed or spoke of very often.

Eventually, her eyes became shuttered, and Kate could no longer see the insecurities that been present just a moment ago. She felt uneasy that a child so young had mastered the ability to mask her emotions and show only what she wanted Kate to see. Kate knew from personal experience how detrimental it was to bury all of your hurts and heartache, believing it made you strong.

"Right." Alexis responded, not meeting Kate's eyes.

Kate thought about pushing the issue but decided to let it pass.

_It isn't my place. It isn't my place,_ she repeated to herself several times over.

It was about this time that the door to Rick's office opened with a forceful whoosh. He found himself standing in front of his daughter and Kate, torn. He needed to deal with the pressing murder cases and he needed to address the unavoidable repercussions of yet another Meredith stunt. Trying to divide half his energy on one and then the other would be a great disservice to assisting Kate and unfair to his daughter.

It took Kate only a few seconds to read how Rick was feeling and his paralyzing indecision so, she made it for him.

"I can only think of one thing left I need you to do. I just need you to go pick up the fan mail. The request from a police officer is likely to raise questions, but if you went, it'd be no problem. Then you're free and I can handle _all_ the rest."

She watched as the stiffness left his body and he released a shaky breath. He began to nod in agreement before he stopped as a thought occurred to him. His eyes darted over to Alexis. And again, Kate picked up on his unspoken thoughts.

"If Alexis doesn't mind, I'd be more than happy to stay here with her while you go and do that. I know I don't have a kitten to bribe her with this time, but.." Kate gave the girl by her side a small smile.

Alexis looked up to her father who was standing over them still. She knew she could say no and he would figure something else out, probably take her with him, but she didn't think that's what she really wanted. She felt suddenly tired as the memory of her mother's rejection painfully washed back over. The thought of having to go out and run some errands was not appealing and she didn't think she'd mind all that much to stay with Kate. Kitten or no, she thought she'd enjoy her company.

She shook her head. "I don't mind staying here with Kate."

Rick flashed her a smile and said, "Good! I shouldn't be too long, okay?" His eyes left his daughter's to meet Kate's. "Thank you. I will hurry but feel free to help yourself to whatever you'd like. Just ask Alexis if you can't find something.."

Kate nodded her head in understanding and watched as he leaned forward to kiss his daughter on the forehead and smooth her hair with a hand.

"I love you, pumpkin."

"I love you, too, daddy."

And five minutes later, Kate and Alexis were left to their own devices.

"Where did he have to go?" Alexis asked, turning to face Kate.

"He needed to pick up some papers for me." Kate hoped to maintain that balance between honesty and revealing too much to a child.

Alexis slowly nodded her head, a thoughtful expression settling over her face. "But, why?"

Kate pursed her lips as she met the girl's inquisitive gaze. It was an entirely new situation for her, fielding questions from a six year old. Kate had a thing against being untruthful, yet she could see herself beginning to recognize its necessity at times given that there was a child involved.

"I needed his help solving a case."

Again, Alexis nodded, thinking of her next question.

"So, that means you're, like, a detective then?"

With each question she'd asked, Kate had revealed more about herself little by little. And each vague response in turn prompted another question. Alexis now found herself on a mission.

"I am a detective." Kate confirmed with a decisive nod. She hoped that by simply reiterating the question, she'd cut off further avenues of questioning along those lines. She'd prefer to not be asked questions about her rather morbid job or for Alexis to make a connection between her working with the police and her father's new involvement. That could be a particularly tricky area to navigate.

"Are you married?"

The question threw her for a loop as her brain tried and failed to see how one could go from discussing what one did for a living to whether or not they were married. Then Kate realized kids probably didn't follow a thought process that made sense to anyone other than themselves and she would be wasting her time trying to make sense of it.

Kate tilted her head to the side and she pursed her lips, her eyes holding Alexis' as she decided to answer the question.

"No."

Alexis pushed on, completely undeterred by the way Kate's answers became increasingly walled off.

"But, you're getting married, right? That ring that we found yesterday, that's a wedding ring. I know because I helped my dad pick one out for Gina."

Kate's eyes momentarily widened at the insightful tidbit Alexis had unintentionally doled out. As far as she knew, Rick wasn't married or hadn't been since Alexis mom... Then again, what little she did know about him was limited to the blurbs she sometimes occasionally stumbled across in the papers.

She avoided answering the question and instead asked one of Alexis.

"What is this, 20 questions time for Kate Beckett?"

Alexis shrugged her shoulders, preparing to fire off the next question.

"You know more about me than I know about you! You know I have a cat. You know where I live. You know what I do. You know-"

"You have lots of shoes," Alexis interjected with a giggle.

Kate flashed her a wry smile. "That I have a lot of shoes," she agreed.

"So, tell me then, Miss Alexis, what should I know about you?"

Alexis frowned as she thought about it. She shrugged her shoulders, feeling the lightness of the moment pass. This conversation was no longer fun for her. A spark of anger seemed to ignite within her and she suddenly felt bothered by Kate's presence. She didn't need her there, pretending to be nice.

Without so much as another word, Alexis slipped from the couch and stepped past Kate's knees. Kate's eyes tracked her as she made her way up the stairs and disappeared in one of the rooms. She heard the faint locking of the door, _well, A+ for that one, Kate. Real smooth. Nicely handled._

Kate didn't dwell on it too much, though. She recognized that the girl was nearly as guarded as she was herself. And with a mother like hers, Kate had no trouble determining why. It wasn't her problem to deal with, however much she may wish she could help, Kate was here to clear Rick's name and then that was it, she was done.

While Kate returned to the office to go over the files yet again, Alexis sat on her floor with her back propped against the bed and a mess of tangled emotions laid before her. A part of her felt bad for being so rude to Kate after she'd just done her best to cheer her up. But, mostly, Alexis just felt confused. The tears began to fall as she thought of her mother and how she felt like she wasn't important enough. The sadness warred with a deep seated anger and the see-saw action between the two was dizzying. She wanted Mother's day to be over, Kate to be gone and for her dad to come back. Alexis wanted things to just go back to normal.  
It was about the time the words started blurring on the page that Rick finally returned, a big bag of fan mail in each hand.

Kate's eyes grew wide. "Is that..."

Rick grimaced, "Yep."

Kate glanced at the clock. It was already mid afternoon. This was definitely going to take a while. She hadn't anticipated needing Rick's help but she didn't think she could afford to turn it down at this point. There was just one thing that needed to be dealt with first.

"Alexis is in her room. Might wanna go in and check on her.." She suggested.

He set the two bags on the end of his large desk and gave a little sigh.

"She's upset? Any idea why?" She had seemed fine when he'd left, then again she could be difficult when it came to letting him know how she felt. Especially when she was hurting. Which is exactly what he imagined the case was in this instance.

"She didn't _exactly_ wanna talk about it.." Kate ventured tentatively.

The understanding smile he flashed her way helped ease her worry over him assuming it was a result of something she had done.

"Yeah, well.. Don't take it personally. Even I struggle with getting her to share sometimes."

Kate smiled before she turned to start in on the daunting stack of letters. Rick returned maybe 15 minutes later. Kate glanced up from the letter she'd been reading to find Rick's tired eyes and his look of defeat. She carefully set the letter down.

"Didn't go well, huh?"

Rick shook his head slightly. "I think she's got a lot of issues that she likes to keep hidden. Issues that I'm nearly certain stem from her less than stable relationship with her mother. It's- why am I telling you all this? You're not here to deal with my unfortunate mess of a life that doesn't pertain to some bogus murder charges against me. I'm sorry. Forget I said anything. Let's just find this damn letter, shall we?" He said as he took his seat next to her and reached for a letter.

Kate wanted to tell him she didn't mind. That it didn't bother her. She'd love to let him vent and get it all out there, maybe she'd even have a couple words of advice, she didn't know.. But, the point remained that she _was_ only here on a professional level and now wasn't the time to be sidetracked by less pressing matters. Kate chided herself to focus on the task at hand. She had murders to solve and not a whole hell of a lot of time.

It was an hour or so later and they were nearing the last of the letters. The hope of finding something was slowly but surely dwindling, on the brink of disappearing all together.

"Rick..." Kate murmured, her eyes continuing to scan the paper in her hands.

Rick's eyes instantly rose at the tone of Kate's voice.

"I think we found what we were looking for," said Kate.

She flipped the page to show it to Rick. It was a drawing depicting the Tisdale murder. Kate starting shuffling the other letters aside, digging for the case files buried underneath. She hastily starting reorganizing them before shoving them into her bag.

She turned to Rick who was still staring at the drawing laying on the desk.

"You got a zip lock bag I can put this in? I'm gonna take it and run it for prints and chase down any leads that may pop up."

"Uh.. Yeah, yeah, I'm sure I've got one somewhere.." He pushed his chair away from the desk and left the room.

Kate was staring at the the drawing thinking, _I got you, you son of a bitch._

Rick returned some minutes later, holding out the zip lock bag for Kate to take. She carefully placed the letter inside and closed it up, placing it in her bag as well.

"I will let you know if anything comes of it. Thank you for all the help."

Rick scoffed. "Are you kidding me? You're thanking me when you're the one saving my ass? Please don't thank me, I find it offensive, Kate Beckett."

Kate merely smiled as she followed him to the front door.

"Talk to you soon?" He asked.

"Talk to you soon," she confirmed as she began planning out her next five steps. She was in for what was sure to be a hectic couple days.

Xx

Kate had called in a favor and had managed to get the prints rushed.

She had a name.

"Kyle Cabot," Kate said, cradling her phone between her ear and shoulder as she stepped from the car.

"No, I've.. I've never heard of him. At least that I can remember.." Rick replied.

Kate struggled to hang on to the phone as she attempted to don her bullet proof vest. Finally admitting to defeat, Kate gave up trying to multitask. She could fill Rick in later.

"Alright, well, I gotta go," she said as she looked over to see where Ryan and Esposito were already waiting. "The boys are chomping on the bit to get this over with. I will let you know when we've got him and have got the confession."

She went to hang up, stopping when she faintly heard Rick still talking. She brought the phone back up to her ear.

"What was that?"

"Oh, I just asked if you would please be careful.."

Kate smiled at his tentative tone laced with concern.

"Always am," she reassured before disconnecting the call.

She geared up and unholstered her gun as she made her way over to Ryan and Esposito. They went over their plan, agreeing Kate would be point. The stealthily creeped through the building, pausing for a few beats once reaching his door.

Kate counted to three before leaping into action, kicking down the door. She moved her gun in either direction, clearing the immediate vicinity. The three cleared each room, finding a chilling surprise in one.

"That's creepy, bro," Esposito said as he knocked elbows with Ryan.

Kate stepped into the room, her jaw dropping open ever so slightly. There was a shrine dedicated to Castle. Kate gently picked up one of the books, flipping it open to find another drawing. She flipped it shut, replacing it as she continued to take it all in. In addition to his obvious fixation on Richard Castle,there were clippings of Allison Tisdale's murder, well as her blouse and the gun matching the description of the murder weapon.

"Wait. You hear that?" Kate asked, cocking her head to the side.

The boys grew still as they stopped to listen.

"Yeah, it sounds like it's coming from.." Ryan began as he cautiously stepped through the room, stopping in front of what looked to be a closet.

On the count of three, the door was thrown open with their guns drawn and at the ready. Kate slowly lowered hers, taking in the scene before her. A man was huddled up in the corner, slamming his head against the wall which accounted for the thumps they had heard.

They cuffed him and took him into custody. The entire drive back to the precinct, Kate wondered how to spin it. She was going to have to figure out how exactly to break the news that she had caught a murderer her team hadn't been assigned. A murderer that the FBI was supposedly investigating.

A few hours later, Kate had gathered as much as she thought was possible. Through further investigating as well as her interrogation, the team had ascertained that he had Pervasive Developmental Disorder and he could be tied to Allison Tisdale who had been his caseworker.

Kate stepped into the stairwell. She could hardly wait to break the news to Rick. She paced the small area as the phone rang. When he picked up she couldn't help but b,rut it out.

"We got him!"

"What?! Really?! This is... Wow, this is great news!"

Kate smiled at the note of relief in his voice that she could barely pick out underneath all of his excitement.

"I thought you'd say something like that.." Kate said, continuing to pace as she spoke.

"So, tell me! Tell me how it all happened? Does this mean it's all over? I'm in the clear now?"

"Well... No. Not exactly. I still have to bring this all to the attention of the FBI but I thought I should tell you first."

Rick appeared to be unfazed by the news that it technically wasn't over. Instead, he focused back on the question she had left unanswered.

"Well, tell me, Kate! Don't leave me hanging!"

And so Kate did. She told him everything starting from when she'd kicked in the door to when she wrapped up the interrogation. When she finished, she was surprised that the other line was silent.

"Rick?" She said, hesitantly.

"I'm sorry. You said he had Pervasive Personality Disorder?" He asked in a tone she found to be unreadable.

"Yes.."

"That doesn't make any sense. Someone with a disorder like that, someone who obsesses or fixates on something.. They'd pay special attention to detail.."

"Sooo...?" Kate wasn't following where Rick was going with this.

"I hadn't mentioned it before because.." Rick trailed off as he thought. "I hadn't mentioned it before because I hadn't been entirely certain it was pertinent but I think it is. I _know_ it is. The flowers in Allison Tisdale's case? They were the wrong type! They were supposed to be Hybrid Tea, not Grandiflora! And that other girl.. Pitney, was it? She should have been wearing a blue dress, not a yellow one! Marvin Fisk- he should be been suffocated with a plastic bag!"

Somewhere in the middle of all his talking, Kate had stopped pacing. Something akin to dread set in.

"What are you saying, Rick?" Her tone was short and she could feel her temper starting to flare. They'd _caught_ the guy. Why was Rick trying to poke holes in the case she had built to save him?

"I'm saying you've got the wrong guy, Kate. Think about it. Why would he go from a murder of convenience to murdering someone he knows back to a murder of convenience? It makes no sense!"

"No, what doesn't make sense is that you're finding flaws in the very case that will clear you. We tied him to Tisdale, he had her blouse and the weapon used to murder her. All the evidence points to him!" She hissed into the phone. _Why is he being so thick?!_

"All the evidence pointed to me at first, remember? Things aren't what they seem sometimes."

Kate closed her eyes, bringing one hand up to massage them gently. "So we are back to square one then."

"Quite on the contrary, Kate. Kyle's being framed says a lot. Think. Why would someone try to pin it on him?"

Kate's mind started racing, picking up on Rick's train of thought. Maybe she could see where he was going with this.

"Well, he has connection _and_ motive." She replied, thinking of Allison Tisdale.

"Okay, why would the murderer kill the other two?" Rick prompted.

Kate squeezed her eyes shut tightly, tilting her head back against the wall, thinking. Her eyes snapped open. "Because at one you look at motive. At two you look at connection and at three you look for serial!"

"So, whoever is really behind this tried really hard to cover up their tracks. The multiple murders were to cover up the fact that there was only one intended target. My guess would be Tisdale seeing as Kyle Cabot was set up specifically for that murder."

"I think I'd have to agree with you on that one, Rick."

"You believe me?" He said incredulously.

"At least enough to pursue this even further. I'm gonna go now, sort out Cabot and line up all my ducks for tomorrow. I'll let you know what I find."

Xx

By the time Kate reached home, it was nearing 9 o'clock. The second she stepped foot inside, Toulouse came barreling out of her room, meowing loudly. Kate felt a stab of guilt for leaving him alone for so long.

"I'm sorry, Louie!" She said in sing song voice as she rubbed his face. He meowed in response, rubbing in and out of Kate's legs. Kate was glad it didn't seem to be in his nature to hold grudges..

She was exhausted and wanted nothing more than to shower real quick and fall into bed- she had an early day tomorrow. But, there was something she could not put off any longer.

She waited until she had set her stuff down and had showered and dressed in comfy sweats. Kate sat on the edge of her bed, staring at her phone. As much as she didn't want to do this, she couldn't justify waiting any longer. She picked up the phone and dialed.

"Sorenson." His tone was clipped.

"It's me." Kate said softly.

"Hi, Kate!" Came his delighted response. "How are you?"

Kate ignored his question completely. "Do you think you can come by at some point tomorrow evening?" Then came the words Kate regretted having to speak. "We need to talk."

Will was quiet for a few moments before he responded. "I can't tomorrow, Kate. I shouldn't be telling you this, but I don't want to keep secrets from my fiancé. It'd set a bad precedence."

Kate cringed at the word fiancé and waited for him to continue.

"Tomorrow is the day we go in on Richard Castle. By this time tomorrow, the case will be wrapped up." Will said triumphantly.

Kate's heart dropped to her stomach. She knew she was pressed for time, she just hadn't realized how much. Now she was in a race against time, what she managed to find or not to find tomorrow morning could determine if Rick was arrested.

Will misconstrued her silence as anger over him not having time for her. "I'm sorry, babe. I promise I will come by right after,though."

"Forget it," she said as she disconnected the call and tossed the phone away from her.

Xx

Kate had set three alarms because she'd been so afraid of oversleeping. When the first one went off, she nearly sprang out of bed. Her sudden movement startled Toulouse who'd been sleeping peacefully curled up in the space right above her shoulder, tucked against her head. He watched her whirl around the room in a hurry to get ready. By the time she had walked out the front door, he had curled back up and fallen asleep in the still warm spot she'd vacated.

Her first stop was to meet with Allison Tisdale's father. She had asked the routine questions, growing increasing frustrated when nothing leapt out at her. Just as she was about to leave, she caught sight of a framed photograph. Something suddenly struck her as out of the ordinary and sparked her curiosity.

When she was walking out 10 minutes later, she couldn't have been more happy that she'd followed her instinct and dug a little deeper. As she unlocked her car and got inside, she pulled out her phone and dialed Rick's number.

"Hey, it's me," she greeted, hardly waiting to exchange the necessary pleasantries before diving right in.

"So, I just left an interview with Mr. Tisdale. Did you know he was worth $100 mil?" She purposely set up the question to lead into her next. "And did you know that if he were to die, half would go to charity and the other half would be divided between his two kids? Well, one now..her brother"

"You don't think.." Rick began, unable to fathom that someone would be able to kill their sibling to increase their inheritance.

"Oh, I do. In fact, I'm on my way to interview him now." Kate was pulling away from the curb and preparing to drive to the work address Mr. Tisdale had been so kind as to give her before she'd left.

"But, why kill her now? He won't see a penny of it while the father is still alive."

Kate smiled, having anticipated the question. This was the very reason she'd uncovered the motive in the first place.

"He had a couple pictures in his office. I couldn't help but notice he's seemed to have lost weight. And that his eyes had bags under them. Clearly, he hasn't been sleeping well. _And_ he was wearing a piece. I hadn't been able to tell at first but once I'd known what to look for, I couldn't miss it. My guess is cancer. Regardless of the actual diagnosis though, it appears that it may in fact be likely the brother stands to inherit something sooner rather than later."

"Wow," Rick said. He was absolutely amazed she'd been able to discern all that she had in the small amount of time.

"Yeah, wow. Anyway, I just pulled up to the brother's office. I'll call you after, let you know what I find."

She walked out of the building 20 minutes later, convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt he was their guy. She pulled out her phone, eager to fill Rick in.

Rick checked caller idea and upon recognizing it was Kate, answered it, "well...?"

He could hardly stand it. It turns out he really enjoyed the whole puzzle piece process of solving murders. Somehow, he had been able to temporarily forget how high stakes were and that the results directly impacted his life..

"He's got alibis."

His stomach sank. _Damn_.

"I thought for sure you were on to something," he said, feeling bummed out.

"Yeah, too bad he said he was traveling and was out of the country for all three murders. Even had the passport to prove it."

Kate did feel a little cruel dragging it out. She actually couldn't wait to tell him. They had this in the bag, well, nearly anyway.

"There's no way he could have committed the murders then.."

"I wouldn't be so sure," Kate said, no longer able to keep up the charade.

"But, his alibis.."

"In my experience, Rick, innocent people don't prepare alibis. For him to know where he was the night his sister was murdered, maybe... But to automatically know where he was when the other two occurred?"

"What about the passport?" Rick asked, his heart rate picking up.

"Easy," Kate scoffed. "He's got a second one. My guess at home.. But I will need a warrant to search his place and that could take time."

"You don't have time!" He nearly yelled, "he could be going home to shred it at any moment!" Rick couldn't bear to come so close to nailing the guy and then having him get off on a technicality.

"I'm doing everything as fast as I possibly can," Kate assured him, throwing the car in drive.

Rick closed his eyes and fell silent for a few moments, thinking hard. He snapped his fingers, "Judge Markaway! He's a friend of mine. Go see him, tell him I sent you. You'll get your warrant much faster."

Kate hated to not play by the rules, but at this point she was willing to bend them.

"Alright. By the time this is all said and done, it'll be a few hours but I will call you once we've got him in custody."

Kate hung up the phone, eyes glancing at the clock. It was nearly noon. She was going to need to move fast if she hoped to beat Will to the punch.

Xx

She couldn't have cut it any closer. By the time she had gotten the warrant and called in to Ryan and Esposito for backup, Harrison Tisdale had shredded nearly half of the incriminating paperwork. Her and Ryan had entered the apartment just as he was fleeing down the stairwell. He might have actually gotten away had it not been for Esposito clothes lining him as he turned the corner.

Kate had asked Ryan and Esposito to transport him back to the precinct and put him in holding while she contacted the FBI. _Technically_, it was their case..

The first person she wanted to tell though was Rick. She started the car as the phone rang.

And rang.

And rang.

He should have answered the first time.

Definitely the second...

Scenes of the FBI storming his loft swirled around inside her head. She tried to shake herself of the feeling that that was what was happening but she couldn't seem to lose it. She decided she wasn't too far and she would just drop by... Just to be sure..

She pulled up to see several government cars and SUVs parked outside.

_Not good, not good, not good._

His front door was open and she stepped inside to see Rick standing with non other than Will Sorenson. Will had just grabbed his arm to lead him out when they both saw Kate.

"Kate," Rick breathed in relief. She would straighten everything out.

"Kate?" Will murmured at precisely the same moment. He didn't understand..

"What are you doing here?" His tone wasn't angry. Or accusatory. It was merely questioning.

Kate started to answer before Will changed his mind, cutting off her response. "You know what, never mind, it doesn't matter. I've gotta deal with this all first. Then we can talk, I promise." He gave her a smile before he began to pull on Rick's arm again.

Rick looked back and forth from Will to Kate. This couldn't be... No, she couldn't possibly be involved with _him_, could she?

At about this time, Kate suddenly noticed Alexis standing at the foot of the stairs, acting with wide eyes. She turned back to face Will.

"You're doing this in front of his daughter?" She hissed angrily. She would have thought Will to be more considerate of how traumatic a child could find this entire situation.

"Kate," he said gently, trying to be patient. "I'm not handcuffing the guy, there've been no arguments. Everyone was cooperating smoothly before you showed up."

Kate shrugged off his condescending tone, though it made her bristle in annoyance. She stepped past Rick and Will and the few other agents who'd been standing around to "keep the peace," or something like that. She crouched down in front of Alexis, reaching an arm out as though to pick her up.

Alexis felt grateful to see Kate. Before Kate had shown up, everything had been unfamiliar and scary. But, Kate was here now and she was familiar and Alexis clung to the comfort of familiarity. She laced her arms around Kate's neck as Kate swept her own arm around Alexis and stood up. She remained quiet as Kate followed after Will and Rick who were now in the hallway.

"Will."

Her voice echoed in the hallway. Her tone was clipped and filled with warning.

"I am telling you, this is a _mistake_."

Will shook his head. "You don't know what you're talking about, Katie."

Kate thought she was going to snap when she heard her nickname roll off his foolish tongue.

"Actually, I do. You've got the wrong guy. And I've got the proof. He's sitting in lock up at the 12th precinct."

Will's eyes narrowed and he took a step towards Kate. "What did you do?" He asked accusatorially.

"What you couldn't. Found the truth and solved the damn case." Kate hitched Alexis a little higher on her hip, clutching at her tightly. Grateful for having someone to anchor her in the moment. This had gotten personal. And ugly, much too fast.

"You can't expect me to just release him at your word," Will said in complete disbelief.

"No, but I do expect you to look at what I've found. Interrogate the guy yourself. He's already confessed."

The last bit was a half truth. Kate had no way of knowing whether or not he'd confessed but if anyone could get a confession it would be Ryan and Esposito.

"Please, Will," she pleaded.

He sighed. "Fine. But he needs to remain in custody until this is all officially sorted out. I trust that you can bring him in yourself?"

Kate released the breath she'd been holding. She was grateful that Will had a reasonable side she could appeal to.

Rick took this as his cue and closed the distance between himself and Kate and Alexis. He held out his arms to take his daughter. Kate and Rick watched as the doors of the elevators closed behind Will and the few other agents.

"Well, that was cutting it close." Rick quipped, glancing at Kate only to find her preoccupied with her own thoughts.

"Yeah.." She said, absently. "It really was."

A few minutes later, Rick, Alexis and Kate were getting into her car and setting off for the precinct. Kate knew at this point it was all formalities as Will was soon to find out she had tied up everything neatly for him.

She was surprised by how long it took Rick to ask the question she'd known he'd been dying to ask.

"So, is Will your.."

"Yep."

Alexis piped up for the first time.

"I didn't like him."

"He's a good guy. He's a _really_ good guy." Kate said softly to herself, not realizing she'd spoken loud enough to be heard by Rick.

Xx

It took less than an hour for Will to verify everything Kate had found. By the time he was ready to leave the precinct, he felt thoroughly humiliated. As he was about to enter the elevator, he heard Kate call his name.

"Will! Will, wait!" She called, reaching out to grab his arm.

He turned around to face her, glaring.

"I know you're angry, Will. And I'm- I'm sorry-"

"Sorry for humiliating me? Sorry for going behind my back? For betraying me? For what, Kate? Cause you're going to have to be more specific." He bit out.

Kate had been ready for his anger. She'd been counting on it. "For everything," she answered. Her voice was soft and her eyes pleaded with him to understand. She didn't want to end on such bad terms.

"But you would have done the same, you and I both know it. If you'd been faced with a similar situation in which you thought you were in the right, you would have pursued it. So you can't fault me for doing what I felt was right- what _was_ right."

Her eyes searched his for any sign at all that she was getting through.

"I can fault you for betraying my trust though, can't I?" Kate flinched at his bitterness. He was hurting and she'd caused it and that made her feel horrible. She gently reached up to touch his cheek.

"I did what I had to."

He reached up and gently pulled her hand away from his cheek.

"I- I need some time, okay? This doesn't change anything about us, about what I want, Kate. I just need a little time."

Kate felt her heart sink down to her feet. Now or never. She could not in good conscience allow him to continue thinking there stood a chance for them when she had her mind firmly made up. This relationship was something that had run its course. It was time to let it go. She'd known for a while, she'd just allowed herself to settle in too comfortably for the sake of convenience. But, it wasn't fair to Will to maintain the charade any longer.

Her hand dipped into her jacket pocket to retrieve the velvet box. She gently placed it in his hand. Will looked at the box and then back at Kate.

"Kate.." His voice was broken and made her feel sick.

"It was never going to work, Will." Her voice was honest and pained.

His fingers curled around the box tightly and he shook his hand gently. "So, this it it then."

"This is it." She said softly as she rose on her toes to kiss him one last time.

"Goodbye, Will," she said before she turned to walk back to the bull pen where Rick and Alexis were waiting.

Will stood forlornly in the empty hallway.

"Goodbye, Kate."

**A/N: now I know why I don't write such long chapters all the time.. They're time consuming and a total bitch to write! **

**I purposely glossed over as much of the case work as I could, we've all seen it plenty of times, right?! And if any of the details weren't 100% accurate, forgive me for taking some liberties. **

**Hope you lot enjoyed this chapter!**

**Much love, xx**


	7. Chapter 7

**_Chapter 7_**

**_DISCLAIMER: I most definitely do not own Castle_**

Kate returned to the bullpen to find Rick spinning Alexis around and around in her chair. She felt a sliver a relief, thinking that maybe, just maybe he hadn't been witness to her breaking off her engagement. Then he looked up. And though he tried to hide it beneath his boyish grin, there was a flash of concern and perhaps even pity in his eyes and she knew that he'd seen it all.

Kate felt a flash of anger and resentment that he had shared in something so private as that but she let it pass. What did it matter anyhow? After tonight she wouldn't be seeing Richard Castle ever again so there wasn't any reason for her to get worked up over it. She was just relieved that this case was over and she'd succeeded in what she had set off to do. Now all she wanted was to go home, curl up with a pint of ice cream and process everything that had happened in such a short amount of time. She had gone from a committed relationship to an engagement to being single in what felt like the blink of an eye. And even though Kate could reason that it had all been inevitable anyway, it had still seemed to fall apart much quicker-and far messier- than she could ever have anticipated.

She forced a smile as she looked at Rick and Alexis.

"Well, I think I'm headed home. It's been a long day," she said as she extended a hand towards Rick.

Rick shook her hand before saying, "Why don't you join us for a celebratory dinner? It's the least I could do."

Kate couldn't fathom going to dinner with the Castles, maintaining the charade of cool, calm and collected any longer. She was craving some alone time.

"How about a raincheck?" She asked, though she had no intention of ever cashing it in. She glanced at Alexis who sat watching interestedly from her chair. "You two should definitely go ahead and celebrate. I've stolen a great deal of your time in these last couple days and I'm sure Alexis here is anxious for some father-daughter time."

Rick could read the resolution in her voice and knew there was no point in pressing it. So, he nodded his head and smiled as he reached out a hand to pull his daughter out of the chair. The three walked to the elevator and rode it down together. The only noise that filled the space was the gentle humming of the elevator. They stepped out into the cool night and stood facing each other for a moment before they turned to part ways.

Rick watched as Kate walked down the sidewalk. He called out one last time, "Thank you, Kate!"

She turned her head and gave one last wave before she looked both ways and crossed the street, not once looking back.

Xx

Kate returned to an empty apartment. Well, she couldn't really say it was empty- Toulouse was there, waiting faithfully. As soon as she had stepped through the door, there he was, demanding attention. He stood on his back paws and stretched his front paws up as far as they would reach, kneading the material of her pants as he cried loudly.

"Oh, hush, you big baby," Kate said affectionately in reply to his vocal greeting.

Toulouse continued to follow her around the apartment as she dropped her bag on the counter before making her way to the bathroom to draw a nice, hot bath. She stepped into the borderline unbearably hot water and sunk down slowly, appreciative of the way her tense muscles finally loosened. Toulouse gave another little meow and she glanced over the edge of the porcelain tub to where he sat on his haunches, the end of his tail twitching.

"Yeah, not so keen on trying to jump in again, are ya?" She teased. Toulouse blinked back slowly, as though in response to her question before he settled down more comfortably on the plush mat.

When Kate finally climbed out of the lukewarm water nearly 45 minutes later. She was feeling much more relaxed as some of the initial shock and anxiety of the breakup had worn off. The heaviness that remained she knew could be cured with some time.

Kate slipped into her favorite sleep shirt and started getting ready for bed. She knew she should probably eat something, seeing as she'd eaten hardly anything all day, but she didn't feel hungry in the slightest. Right now, all she wanted was to sleep for an eternity, or however long it actually took to erase the weariness she felt.

She lifted Toulouse onto the bed before she pulled back the covers and slipped underneath. Before turning out the light, she checked her phone to make sure the alarm was set a little bit later than usual only to see she had a text message. It was from Castle and it read, **I can never thank you enough. Sleep well, Kate. Tomorrow is a new day.**

Her fingers hovered over the keypad for a moment before she locked her phone and set it on the nightstand and clicked off the lamp. What could she say that hadn't already been said? He'd thanked her a million times over, did he really need to hear another "you're welcome, don't mention it," ? Kate didn't think so.

Toulouse came and curled up on her chest, purring loudly. She rubbed him behind the ears and petted him until she inevitably succumbed to sleep.

Xx

After they parted ways, Rick was left with a hollowed out feeling in the pit of his stomach. Maybe he should have tried harder. She looked so... _Sad_. But he had been torn and had ultimately allowed his fears of overstepping his bounds dictate his actions. They were hardly more than strangers and he had seen her in a vulnerable light, it was better to leave well enough alone.

He and Alexis walked hand in hand, swinging their arms as they went.

"So, where should we eat, pumpkin?" He asked her.

"Uhmmmm..." She hummed as she thought. "That one diner, by our house."

Rick stopped walking and tugged her towards the curb. "Well, then.. Guess we'd better wave down a taxi," he said as he held up a hand to stop a passing cab.

20 minutes later, they were seated in a booth, waiting for their food. Alexis leaned forward, chin rested in one hand as she drew her milkshake closer. "Dad," she said before she took a long sip from the bendy straw.

Rick raised his eyebrows at her, waiting for her to finish drinking so she could say whatever it was that was on her mind.

"Yes?" He prompted.

"Why were all those men at our house today? And why did we have to go to the police station? Were you in trouble?"

Rick sighed deeply as he thought of how best to answer her questions. He always avoided lying or being dishonest- he wanted his daughter to grow up with an appreciation for integrity and part of that meant always doing his best to be has honest as he could with her.

"Well, it's a little complicated, sweetie. I was in trouble, but it was because they made a mistake. They thought I did something that I didn't really do. That's why Kate has been around the past two days; she knew they made a mistake and she was helping me prove that I didn't really do it."

His eyes carefully searched her face, wondering if it made any sense to her. She took another long sip of her vanilla milkshake before asking yet another question.

"But Kate figured it out, right? She made them understand that you weren't a bad guy?" Rick nodded his head yes and her face grew serious as she contemplated everything that had happened and everything her father was telling her.

"But if Kate fixed it all, why was she sad? Shouldn't she have been happy because she helped you?"

Alexis couldn't make sense of how sad Kate had been tonight. When she had smiled and said goodbye, it hadn't reached her eyes. They didn't crinkle at the corners or shine like they had when they had played with the kitten the other day; they were just kind of dull. It made her feel guilty for the way she'd treated her that day; she'd been needlessly rude to someone who had only ever tried to help. Alexis wished she could take it back, or at the very least return the favor and find out why she was sad in the first place so she could cheer her up.

Rick frowned, unable to answer at first. "She has had a long and busy few days, Alexis. A lot going on.."

"Like getting married?" She asked with only the innocence a child was capable of mustering.

Rick did a double take, wondering how she knew. "How'd you know about that, pumpkin?"

"Because, _dad_," she said, rolling her eyes slightly. "I found the ring. Well, kinda. I was playing with her cat and we knocked over a vase and when it shattered, we found the box.. And-"

"Wait- the ring was in a vase?" He said incredulously, that was the dumbest thing he'd ever heard of- hiding an engagement ring in a vase, in the woman's own house. "You know what- no, nevermind. The point is.." Rick said, struggling to actually find the point he'd been trying to make. "The point is, Kate just has a lot to deal with right now and that's probably why she wasn't as happy as we've seen her."

Alexis frowned a little at this and thought back to what Kate had told her the other morning. "She told me she wasn't getting married. Is that why she's sad, daddy? Because she's _not_ getting married?"

Alexis didn't know why, but she was driven with this need to know, to understand. She was a child who didn't like feeling confused or on the outside of things- for Alexis, she _needed_ to be able to make sense of things. It reassured her to know what was going on around her, gave her a sense of security.

Once again, Rick was left to wonder how Alexis knew what she knew. When did Kate tell her? _Why_ did Kate tell her?

"I don't know, Alexis, I do not know. Ooh! What I do know is our food is almost here!" He said as he caught sight of the waitress walking their way with a tray of food. Timing could not have been better. He did not want to face any more of Alexis' questions.

Alexis turned to see the waitress carrying the food and she clapped her hands in excitement. The two enjoyed their dinner together, laughing and joking about random things and by the time they were on their way home, Alexis had completely dropped the Kate questions.

After he had tucked Alexis in bed and fallen into his own, he checked his phone and frowned when there were no new messages. He had texted her a little bit ago and thought that by now she would have responded. Rick thought maybe he should have said something different. Maybe instead he should have just been upfront and said, _Kate, listen, I know what happened and I just wanted to let you know that I'm here for you if you want someone to talk to or if you need anything at all.._

Rick scoffed at himself. That would have been absurd and maybe even a little rude to insert himself in her business. For whatever reason, she hadn't responded and he just needed to deal with it.

Tomorrow was a new day. He could call her then.

Xx

He had called Kate the next day.

And the day after that, and the day after that.

Each time, Kate had let it go to voicemail. He was a famous novelist and she was a cop. The _only_ reason their paths had crossed had come and gone and Kate saw no reason to stay in touch. She'd done him a favor and now he just felt indebted, that's all. Had it not been for her, seeking him out and getting criminal charges dropped, they never would have met again after that day she'd returned his daughter. They each belonged in separate worlds. She was just an average, every day person and he was a celebrity, people like that stay within the confines of those worlds, they don't mix em.

The days turned to weeks and the weeks to months and Rick had stopped calling. Her life had struck a new norm, and she was much happier. She focused all her time and energy into work and no longer thought much of Will or the engagement, and when she did, she no longer felt sad. Just as she had imagined, time had eased the pain and now she only felt relief. As hard as the breakup had been initially, she was no longer in a relationship with someone she didn't truly love and that felt much better than having to try to convince herself she really was.

Kate found that she was much happier on her own. It suited her-

Her absent minded introspection ended when she saw him. She'd been sitting in her car hoping he'd make an appearance. She radioed in Esposito and Ryan.

"I've got him in my sights," she said, before informing them of her exact location.

She stepped out of the car, shutting the door quietly before she began following the man down the busy Manhattan sidewalk. They'd been working this case for a week now and had been running in circles, chasing nowhere leads until they'd finally caught a break. It had been something they'd dismissed at first, but upon reviewal, it had cracked the case wide open. It had lead them straight to the victim's ex boyfriend, the man Kate was now following.

He must have sensed he was being followed because his pace quickened as he gave a fleeting glance backwards. Suspicions confirmed, he broke into a run, shoving people out of the way.

"Stop! Police!" She cried as she sprinted after him, weaving in and out and occasionally pushing people to the side.

He looked back every so often to see if she was gaining, and it was in one of those moments when he had his head turned that he didn't see the leg stuck out before him. Kate watched as a man exited a shop several stores ahead and appraise the scene. She saw him stick out a leg that sent the perp flying several feet. She was on him in a flash, knee pressed in his back as she yanked his arms behind to handcuff them.

When she turned to look up and thank the man responsible for her suspect's apprehension, she was startled to find she knew him.

Her jaw dropped slightly in surprise. With a self satisfied smirk, he extended an arm towards her, offering up the drink he held in his hand.

"Coffee?" He asked.

She finally released the small breath she'd been holding, sighing out his name.

"Rick."

**A/N: slow, filler chapter! my apologies! **


	8. Chapter 8

**_Chapter 8_**

_**DISCLAIMER: I most definitely do not own Castle**_

The man lying prostrate on the ground had felt the pressure of the knee in his back lessen as Kate unconsciously shifted her weight to address Rick. He took advantage of the distraction and jerked his body hard to one side, sending an unsuspecting Kate toppling over. As he'd rolled to the side, he hastily pulled his legs through his cuffed hands so they were no longer behind him. He leapt to his feet a split second before Kate managed to do the same. The suddenness of his actions caught everyone unaware and allowed him just enough time to dart into the narrow alley between the coffee shop and adjacent building.

The second Kate hit the cold pavement, she was already reacting. She'd pulled her gun from its holster and was on her feet in pursuit of her suspect in a matter of seconds. As she approached the end of the alleyway her run slowed to a cautious walk. She peered around the corner to find the intersecting alley was much narrower and quickly opened into several more alleys. Afraid of losing the suspect in question, Kate hurriedly proceeded. The first alleyway was a dead end and held nothing but beat up trash cans that were overflowing with reeking garbage bags. As she approached the next cross section, a sinking feeling settled into the pit of her stomach. She was sure she'd lost him.

She walked just a little bit further, gun still at the ready when she heard her name being called. Kate turned to find Rick jogging towards her and she started to wave him off when she caught movement in her peripheral vision. Before she could figure out what was happening, someone bulldozed her from behind. Her gun flew from her hands and skidded roughly against the pavement, disappearing beneath the dumpster her attacker had hid behind.

The force of impact had Kate hurdling towards the ground yet again, but this time something jerked her back before she could hit the asphalt. She felt the cold metal chains of the handcuffs biting into her neck, yanking her upwards. Her hands instinctively sought to alleviate the pressure that cut off her airway.

The man began dragging her backwards, yelling out a warning to anyone that dared follow. Kate fought valiantly but his close proximity, along with insufficient oxygen, limited her greatly. Though she continued to struggle, her attacker didn't appear to be bothered much by her attempts to break free. He had at least six inches on her and the build of a linebacker; he wasn't going to be easily overpowered by a restrained woman, especially given that he now held the power to kill her if he so chose.

He did find her unrelenting spirit a little tiresome though, so he slackened the pressure on the chain just enough to yank it back forcefully, effectively stilling her as she focused all her remaining efforts on the simple task of breathing.

"Stop moving, bitch."

Kate wasn't one to normally panic, but as her eyes began to water and the pressure in her head built, she was able to see the direness in the situation. Rick stood with alarmed eyes some yards away, torn between action and non action. He feared that anything he did-or didn't- do would only exacerbate the situation. Behind him, a few other curious people had trickled in to see how the earlier arrest had unfolded.

Rick began to reach into his pocket to pull his phone out so he could call for help.

The man yanked again on the cuffs and this time, Kate felt the biting sting as the links of the chain pinched and broke her skin. Her fingers were still desperately clawing at the cuffs, trying to work their way underneath and relieve some of the pressure, but the chain against her neck was too tight.

"Don't!" The man commanded, causing Rick to stop instantly. "No one so much as moves a muscle or I swear to God, I will kill her right here."

Kate whimpered involuntarily as he pulled back even harder on the handcuffs. She wondered what the hell was taking Ryan and Esposito so long; they should have been here by now. Black spots began appearing and Kate was finally starting to succumb to the lack of oxygen. It was at that moment, she saw Ryan and Esposito come barreling around the corner, guns drawn. Again, she felt the man pull back even tighter at the visible threat and her hands continued to claw at the cuffs as she gasped for air.

"If you shoot, you could hit her and not me. Is that a risk you're willing to take?" He goaded, confident that having Kate has a human shield would deter the other detectives from discharging their weapons.

Esposito cocked his gun and took careful aim. Rick did a double take at the sound, astounded to see the detective in a shooting stance looking entirely prepared to fire his weapon with Kate as an obstacle.

"Wait, no! What are you doing?! What if you miss?" Rick's voice was tight with anxiety and he stepped towards Esposito when he made no move to lower his gun.

The loud, resounding crack of the gunshot stunned him and he turned to see Kate crumple to the ground, her white blouse smattered with red.

Ryan and Esposito were moving before he could even process what had happened. The hoots and hollers coupled with the applause forced Rick to turn back around. He'd looked away when he saw Kate's body go limp, but now...

Esposito had the man pinned to the ground, a knee in his back and one hand roughly pressing his head into the asphalt and Ryan was helping Kate sit up. Rick quickly joined them and took over with assisting Kate.

"You got her?" Ryan asked before turning to help his partner with the perp who lay on the ground, spitting out expletives over having been shot in the shoulder.

Kate, in the moments leading up to the shot, had had enough of her wits about her to help Esposito in whatever way she could. She'd gone limp just before he'd fired and her dead weight had momentarily surprised him and in that split second he'd tried to compensate for her dead weight, Esposito had gotten off the clean shot.

As Esposito yanked the guy roughly to his feet, he turned to Rick and said, "I don't miss."

Rick was more focused on Kate and barely registered his comment.

"Kate?" Rick said softly as her eyes fluttered open and shut a few times, struggling to remain conscious.

He gathered her in his arms, to her feeble protests and began carrying her out of the alley, the crowd parting like a sea.

With each step Rick took, Kate fought for control, scrambling for a hold on her consciousness while she forced herself to pull it together.

She hated appearing weak. She loathed it. And to be carried out after a miserable failure of an arrest... Kate was nothing short of humiliated.

The sting of humiliation sobered her up pretty damn quickly. Her eyelids no longer felt so heavy nor did she feel like she'd pass out at any given moment. Her control had returned and with it, some of her fiery temper.

Kate writhed in Rick's arms as she demanded to be put down. Rick said nothing but his hold on her tightened as he drew her closer to him.

She fixed her gaze on him, eyes afire.

"Put me down right now or so help me.."

If Rick was intimidated by her threat, he didn't show it. They were fast approaching the mouth of the alley by the coffee shop and Kate could see the mass of people that crowded around the now barricaded opening. Kate could not bear the thought of being carried out by Richard Castle, like she was some damsel in distress and he her knight in shining armor. She could already visualize the headlines in the magazines and the surely over sensationalized and completely false article that portrayed Rick as the celebrity hero.

In one last desperate move, Kate grabbed Rick's ear, twisting it sharply as she pulled down. Rick stopped dead in his tracks, yelping at the discomfort.

"I can assure you, Rick, I am entirely okay to walk. Now, if you wouldn't mind, please put me down."

Resignedly, Rick lowered her to the ground, one arm lingering around her shoulders. Kate's knees buckled for just a second before she took a step forward and shook off Rick's arm. She forced a smile on her face and thanked him before continuing on her way, Rick trailing behind.

Relief washed over her when she saw that there were no news vans or reporters waving a microphone in her face as they fired off question after question. She exchanged a few words with the officer manning the barricade before edging past and making her way towards Ryan and Esposito's car.

"Kate! Kate!"

Kate stopped as soon as she recognized the voice, turning on the spot to look for her. She found her in the arms of a woman she didn't recognize and watched as she wriggled out of the arms that held her, running over. In that moment, Kate was grateful that the little girl had been spared the whole ordeal.

"Hi, Alexis," she said, her voice cracking halfway through. It hurt to talk. Yelling at Rick certainly hadn't helped any..

Alexis stopped just shy of giving her a hug, unsure of herself.

"Where's my dad?" She asked, her eyebrows knitting in question. She had seen him run into the alley right after telling her to stay with his "friend." Though this was her second time meeting her, Alexis still wasn't overly fond of her and resented that her father left her in the woman's care.

Kate turned to find him still trying to shove past the crowd. "He is right there!"

Alexis turned to spot him before turning back to Kate. "Oh, thanks"

Again her face drew into one of contemplation and she said, "Kate! You're bleeding! Did you get hurt?"

Kate gave a small smile at the note of concern in her little voice before quickly downplaying it. "No, I'm fine, Alexis. Thank you!"

Alexis gave her one last fleeting look of skepticism before her desire to see her dad won out. She ran over to Rick, arms outstretched.

Kate watched to be sure she reached Rick before she continued on to Ryan and Esposito who by this time had shoved the man into the back of their cruiser and were now filling in a couple of other officers.

She was talking to Ryan and Esposito when she felt the presence of someone else. She turned and found Rick and Alexis. Just before she excused herself from her conversation with her partners, Esposito said, "Oh, and don't think you're getting out of a medical check up. You know the rules, you've gotta be cleared by a medical professional. I know you saw those paramedics, Beckett."

Kate groaned and rolled her eyes. "Really, I'm perfectly fine, I don't need to be checked out."

Ryan tutted in disapproval. "Too bad. And also, we already called the situation back into the precinct. Montgomery will want a report of course, but he says after the perp his booked, you're done for the day."

Kate's eyes flashed as she looked from Ryan to Esposito. "You're kidding! It wasn't even that big of a deal!"

Ryan and Esposito shrugged their shoulders in unison.

"It is what it is. It's not even like you have much more to do, Beckett. This was our only open case and we pretty much just closed it. We'll see you bright and early tomorrow."

Kate's eyes narrowed at Esposito's dismissive tone and watched as they climbed into the cruiser. Rick cleared his throat to remind Kate of their presence.

She turned to face them. "Hey."

"Hey."

His eyes still showed his concern and made Kate uncomfortable. She noticed his eyes kept flicking down to her neck ever few seconds and she self consciously brought up a hand to cover it.

"You're going to go see the paramedics, right?"

Rick was careful to pose it as a question, knowing Kate would take offense at the idea that she was being ordered to do so. He couldn't help but feel responsible for the whole mess and he just wanted to be sure that after all was said and done, Kate got checked out and really was okay.

"Yeah, I was just gonna walk over there, they're getting a little impatient."

The ambulance had parked close by and had obviously been briefed about the incident by someone because they seemed to know it was her specifically that needed to be checked out. She noticed that they had stood in her line of sight to make themselves visible and their intentions apparent. Kate didn't doubt that Ryan or Esposito had told them she could be a little stubborn when it came to abiding by regulations and probably would try to get out of getting checked out.

Kate looked past Rick's shoulder to see the woman who'd been holding Alexis, watching their interaction closely.

"I think she's waiting for you," Kate said, nodding her head towards the woman. Rick glanced back briefly before his gaze settled back on Kate.

"Anyway, I'm gonna go get checked out so I can finally get out of here. Thanks for all your help today, Rick."

Rick couldn't tell if she was being sarcastic or not. He wondered if she blamed him for how things had turned out today.

With that, Kate turned and made her way over to the ambulance and Rick left with his friend and daughter in tow.

"Ow!" Kate said as she jerked away from the medic's probing hands, fixing him with a steely glare. "Do you have to press down so hard?"

He gave a sigh as he reached out to gingerly probe his fingers along her neck again. "I'm sorry, but I have to check the extent of the damage, make sure there isn't something that could later compromise your breathing."

"The only thing that's threatening to compromise my breathing is your continued attention to my already beat up neck." Kate said in a huff.

She normally wouldn't be this argumentative or confrontational with someone who was only trying to help, but right now she was exhausted and her entire body ached, especially her neck.

The medic finally pulled away, smirking a little as he snapped off his gloves. "You're mighty feisty for someone who was nearly strangled not too long ago."

"Yeah, maybe someone should strangle you and then you can see just how enjoyable it is to have someone manhandling your poor throat." She grumbled as she swung her legs over the gurney and dropped to the ground.

She looked up from where she stood to find him chuckling, and it did nothing to help her foul mood. When he finally managed to recover, he apologized.

"I'm sorry, it's not every day we treat someone with as much fire or as much lip as you. Especially given the circumstances." His expression sobered and he got serious.

"Well, Ms. Beckett, from what I can see, there won't be any lasting damage though you will have a nasty bruise for a few days at the very least. You will probably find that the pain gets worse before it gets better. It might hurt to swallow for this next day or two, so I would advise eating soft foods or maybe soup, frozen yogurt's always good, too."

Kate nodded her head in understanding.

"Your partner did mention you'd blacked out for a few seconds and were struggling to stay conscious the first few minutes right after. That tends to appear more serious than it actual is. The fact that you were up and walking not much later.. You should be fine. Though, I am going to advise that you take it easy, just in case, and should you start expressing symptoms, like light headedness or if you pass out again, you will need to see a doctor immediately. Okay?"

Kate tried to clear her throat, setting it aflame once more. She winced slightly. "Yes, okay. Thank you very much for your time today."

She turned on her heel, making a beeline for her cruiser. Kate was beginning to feel relieved that she was free to go home. She didn't know how much more she could handle today.

First the wild chase.

Then, Rick's heroic trip.

Followed closely by her allowing herself to be distracted by his crooked, self assured smirk.

Oh, and she couldn't forget looking like a fool when her suspect tossed her off his back and made a run for it.

And of course, the whole being accosted and strangled with her own handcuffs thing...

God, what a day.

**A/N: whoops, sorry, Kate...**

**contrary to popular belief, I am not out to get her...I swear!**


	9. Chapter 9

**_Chapter 9_**

_**DISCLAIMER: I most definitely do not own Castle**_

Kate wiped her towel over the steamed up mirror, staring at her naked reflection. Her eyes were drawn to the ugly bruising across her neck. She raised a hand and ran her fingers lightly across the skin, wincing slightly as she realized just how tender it was. Sighing, Kate turned away from her reflection and slathered lotion on her body before pulling a nightshirt over her head. She had just shut the lights off in the bathroom when she heard a knock at the door.

She hadn't been expecting company.. Kate thought it might be Lanie checking up on her, she probably heard through the grapevine what had happened. As she walked towards the door, Toulouse darted between her feet, causing her to stumble.

"Dammit, Toulouse," Kate muttered, regaining her balance. That damn cat was always getting underfoot. She loved him, sure, but he had a knack for causing trouble.

She unlocked the door, sticking her foot out in front of Toulouse to keep him from running out. When Kate cracked the door, she was surprised to see who was on the other side. She swung it open, forgetting about the cat and he seized the moment to leap over her foot and out the door.

"What are you guys doing here?"

Before her stood Rick, who held several bags and Alexis, who had fallen to her knees and was petting Toulouse.

"We were in the neighborhood, thought we'd stop by to check on you," Rick said with a smile. His gaze dropped down, apparently taking notice of Kate's clothing-or lack thereof.

Her cheeks heated in embarrassment. She cleared her throat, wincing the second she realized her mistake. She had to quit doing that.

"Come in, come in," she beckoned, stepping aside.

Rick glanced down at Alexis, who'd been too enamored with the cat to process Kate's words. "C'mon, pumpkin!"

"Would you mind scooping him up, Alexis? He's not supposed to be out there."

Alexis quick looped an arm underneath him as she reached to grab something else behind her. She rose to her feet, Toulouse looking the slightest bit disgruntled. Kate was simultaneously amused and impressed; Toulouse wasn't by nature a tolerant creature but he seemed to indulge Alexis.

As Alexis crossed the threshold, she readjusted her hold on a slipping Toulouse and then held out a bouquet of flowers to Kate. Kate was taken aback and glanced up at Rick who smiled and shrugged his shoulders.

Kate gently took the proffered flowers, smiling wide at the girl. "These are beautiful!"

Both hands free, Alexis tugged the cat up more securely before beaming up at Kate. "I picked them out all by myself."

"Took her nearly fifteen minutes to put it together," Rick chimed in, "I never thought we were going to get out of that flower shop."

Kate smoothed a hand over the girl's hair. "Thank you, Alexis. These are exactly what I needed."

As she knelt over slightly to address Alexis, she'd inadvertently caused her shirt to hike up, revealing a few more inches of her long legs. When she looked up, she didn't miss the spark in Rick's eyes nor the flustered tone in which he spoke.

"I'm just gonna go...set these down..somewhere."

"The kitchen is just to the left there," Kate glanced down at the oversized sleep shirt, thinking it just wasn't going to cut it. "I wasn't expecting company.. So, I'm going to go change real quick. Alexis should know where things are.."

Kate vanished into her bedroom. She closed the door behind her before crossing the room to her dresser and yanking drawers open to find more suitable clothes. She settled on a pair of baggy sweats and a tank top and quickly put them on, tossing the big shirt onto the bed to change back into later.

As she made her way to the kitchen she could hear Alexis' giggles from the living room, bringing a smile to her face. Kate found Rick in the kitchen, opening and shutting cabinets in search of something.

"What are you trying to find?"

Kate's voice came out uneven and sounding weak. Rick turned to face her, hand still propping one cabinet door open.

"Bowls. I brought chicken noodle soup. The best in the city."

"Last cabinet on your right and spoons are in the drawer to your immediate left. And it's only you and Alexis; I'm not hungry."

Rick frowned at her response. "How about ice cream then? I figured you probably couldn't eat solid things for a day or two so I got an assortment of ice creams on the off chance you wouldn't want the soup. So, are you a chocolate or vanilla kind of girl? Strawberry maybe? Or mint chocolate chip..."

Kate would be lying to herself if she said she wasn't touched by his thoughtfulness, but it all just begged the question as to why he felt the need to come in the first place. It was a nice gesture, but unexpected. Kate would have much preferred the night to herself that she'd had in mind before the Castles had showed up. Her throat was ragged and throbbing and her body ached and she really just wanted to sleep.

With Rick and Alexis here, Kate felt responsible for being an accommodating and welcoming host, engaging and entertaining. But the truth of the matter was, she just didn't feel she had the energy. Not to mention the situation felt awkward. It'd been months since she'd last seen Rick and Alexis and then some chance encounter today and all of a sudden he'd invited himself over? What gives?

"Not that I don't appreciate the soup or the ice cream..or the flowers... But, I.. Why are you here?"

Kate cringed a little at her brusque manner but Rick didn't seem bothered by it. He pushed away from the counter and walked towards her, closing the space between them, until they stood less than a foot apart.

"Well, you see, the last time we parted ways you claimed a raincheck, but never cashed it in and then you avoided all my calls. And this time, I just figured I should take matters into my own hands. I wasn't going to let another opportunity pass me by."

Rick's tone was light and he had his trademark smirk in place and Kate suddenly felt reminded of the Rick she'd encountered that day in the bookstore, the cocky, self aggrandizing man who'd cornered and kissed her. It seemed the more grounded, reserved side of Rick Castle she had gotten to know had only been because of the gravity of the situation they'd been in. She wondered which Rick was the real one. Had he only changed because the situation had called for it? Or was that who he really was, but he hid that softer side behind his public image? Kate tried to close her mind to these thoughts. These matters didn't concern her whatsoever.

She lifted her chin high, narrowing her eyes at him. On the verge of saying something, Kate caught his eyes glance downwards at her exposed neck and the momentary falter of his smug grin. Immediately, she ducked her chin not liking the look in his eyes.

Kate didn't enjoy feeling pitied.

Rick took half a step back, one hand moving to rub the nape of his neck in vexation.

"Actually, that's not the reason why. Though, I definitely wish you hadn't avoided my calls or we'd stayed in touch or gotten to know each other.. The main reason why I dropped by-"

"unannounced," Kate interjected.

"Yes, unannounced-" he amended with a smile before continuing, "was because I feel really guilty about what happened today, Kate. I... You never would have gotten into that situation if I hadn't distracted you in the first place in that alleyway. He never would have had the drop on you and you wouldn't have nearly been strangled and-"

Kate's laughter caused him to break off, losing his own train of thought as he tried to find what was so funny.

"You think I blame you for what happened today, Rick?" Kate shook her head. "I don't, not even in the slightest. It had never crossed my mind until you brought it up. I know better than to get distracted or let down my guard while on the job, that was on me, not on you."

Rick remained unconvinced. "But, he had you. He could have killed you."

Kate shrugged a shoulder and rolled her eyes, tutting at his statement. "Occupational hazard."

Rick continued to look at her as though she were crazy and Kate just turned and walked past him, grabbing out an ice cream scooper from one of the drawers.

"So, what'll it be, Rick? Chocolate? Vanilla?"

"Uh.." Rick said after a few moments. "Chocolate."

Kate heaped two scoops into a bowl and held it out to Rick. Before he could do so, Kate called Alexis.

"Alexis!" Her voice carried through her small apartment and not thirty seconds later, Alexis came running into the kitchen, Toulouse bounding after her.

"What kind of ice cream would you like?' Kate asked.

"Ice cream for dinner?" Her tone was incredulous and her eyes leapt to her father's in question.

"Yeah, why not?" Rick said with a big grin.

"Vanilla?" Kate prompted.

"Uhmmm.. Strawberry, please."

"Oh, you're a strawberry girl? Me too." Kate said as she scooped some generous helpings into two bowls for Alexis and herself.

As Rick and Alexis followed Kate into the living room, Alexis chattered endlessly about how cute Toulouse was and his latest crazy antics. The three fell onto the couch, Alexis in between them. Toulouse was quick to jump up on the couch and stick his face in Alexis' bowl.

She giggled as she tried to hold it out of reach, "No, Toulouse!"

Kate pulled lightly on the end of his tail. "Stop it, Louie. Alexis, feel free to just push him off the couch. He's rude, no manners at all."

Toulouse was not deterred when he was nudged off the couch. He ran around to jump on the back of it instead, and climbed onto Alexis' shoulders, nosing down into her bowl from above. Alexis laughed, thoroughly amused while Kate set her bowl down and picked him up by the scruff of his neck and held him at eye level.

"Don't make me lock you in the bathroom again."

She tossed him over the edge and watched as he sat on his haunches. The end of his tail twitched in annoyance but he made no move to jump back up . Kate picked up her bowl and went to take a spoonful when she noticed the amused look on Rick's face.

"What?" She asked, lowering her spoon.

"You talk to him like I talk to Alexis."

She raised her eyebrows. "You threaten to lock your daughter in the bathroom?" Kate looked at the girl in mock alarm. "Alexis, does your father lock you in the bathroom when you're bad?"

Rick rolled his eyes. "No, you treat him like he's your child."

Kate felt herself blush. She wasn't one of _those_ pet owners, was she?

"No I don't." Deny, deny, deny.

"Mm, yeah, yeah you do," Rick argued.

"Whatever," Kate said as she took a big bite of ice cream.

For a few minutes, the only sound that filled the room was the sound of their spoons against the bowls.

When Kate finished, she realized she felt much better than she had only an hour ago. This had been precisely what she needed, and she hadn't even known it. But Rick had.

"Thank you, Rick. I didn't think a little ice cream and some company was what I needed, but..."

"It was the least I could do and-"

Kate nipped his apology in the bud. "Rick, if you're about to tell me again about how guilty you are or how you think it was your fault, so help me.."

Rick's mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water.

"I was going to say I'd do dishes and you can uh.. Take it easy." He lied.

Rick had been about to apologize yet again. Every time he caught a glimpse of her bruised skin, the scene in the alleyway replayed in his head. Him calling her name, Kate turning at the sound of his voice. The flash of movement and the gut clenching fear as he watched a man strangle her. Rick didn't know if he was more confused or relieved at Kate's refusal to entertain his culpability in her assault.

He stood and took the bowl from Kate and stacked his and his daughter's on top before starting towards the kitchen. Kate tried to follow, but Rick firmly refused any and all assistance, proclaiming that she needed to learn how to relax and relinquish some of her control.

A disgruntled Kate flopped down on the couch. Rick certainly had no problems making himself at home in her apartment. If there were any third party outsider here to witness this, they'd most likely assume Kate and the Castles were close friends who spent a great deal of their time together enough to feel at ease in each other's homes when, in reality, they could only be described as acquaintances.

Toulouse jumped onto the couch and settled into her lap, purring in contentment.

"Oh, so, are you done being a little terror?" She asked her cat as she scratched behind his ears.

Alexis scooted closer so she was near enough to pet the cat. She alternated between looking at Toulouse and glancing up at Kate. This was the first time all night they were completely alone and Alexis was trying to work up the nerve to ask Kate the questions she'd been dying to ask. She didn't know why she hadn't just asked her father or maybe have asked in his presence, but she felt shy whenever she interacted with Kate and having her father there to watch made it worse in a way.

Her furtive glances did not go unnoticed by Kate, though she pretended to be oblivious. Even with her limited experience with Alexis, she had learned it was far better not to press the issue, it would only cause her to withdraw and become more guarded. If she wanted to say something, she would.

"Kate?" Alexis' voice was soft and sounded unsure, but her eyes locked with Kate's.

"Hmm?" Kate hummed in response, almost afraid to speak an actual word lest it discourage Alexis to continue.

"My daddy said you got hurt today."

Kate nodded her head, unsure if there wasn't more to come.

"He said that a bad man hurt you and that we should bring you flowers and ice cream to make it better."

Again, Kate nodded. Alexis fell silent, focusing on scratching underneath Toulouse's chin. She finally looked back up at Kate.

"Kate? Why would he want to hurt you?"

Kate grew still as she thought about her question. She heard Rick in the kitchen, the faucet running and the sound of drawers opening and shutting as he tried to clean up. She felt herself wishing he was there to help her with this conversation.

"Uhm. Well..I don't know, Alexis." Kate coughed under the scrutinizing gaze.

Alexis, ever the perceptive child, caught Kate's painful swallow and subsequent cough. There'd been the briefest flicker of pain, and Alexis' face drew into a concerned frown. It didn't make any sense to her why someone would want to hurt Kate.

"But...you're a nice person."

Kate smiled a little, pleased to know Alexis thought so. The little time she had spent with her had frequently left her baffled, unable to read the carefully guarded girl. To see her concern was..touching.

She was tempted to reach out, squeeze her hand or smooth down her hair, but she refrained. The last time she'd tried to get more personal, she'd sent the girl running to her room.

Alexis tucked her legs beneath her, inched closer on her knees. One arm was propped on Kate's shoulder while she fixed a serious gaze on her. Her eyes trailed down from her eyes to her neck. Alexis' other hand came up and her fingers ghosted over the slightly raised discolored skin.

"Does it hurt?" She whispered.

Kate tucked her head a little, meeting Alexis' gaze.

"Not anymore, not really."

"It looks like it hurts real bad. One time, at the playground, I slipped and fell and I hit my face on one of those bar things and I had a bruise. It looked kind of like yours but it was on my cheek. And I thought it really hurt. I cried."

Alexis looked thoughtful as she recalled and compared her own pain, wanting to understand Kate's. As Kate floundered trying to figure how to respond, Rick walked into the room, declaring the kitchen cleaner than he'd found it.

Alexis dropped her arm from Kate's shoulder as she sat down and resumed petting the cat that was now curled in a small ball, her moment with Kate passing. Rick watched Kate's sidelong glances at his daughter who was all too absorbed in petting the cat in Kate's lap. A little tiny part of him wondered at what he must have missed.

"Whatcha girls doin' in here?"

"Uh-"

"Talking," Alexis said as she looked up to smile at her father.

"Oh, yeah? What were you talking about? I bet it was me." Rick waggled his eyebrows at Alexis and his eyes seemed to dance. Kate found a smile of her own tugging at the corners of her lips as she watched their interaction.

Alexis rolled her eyes and huffed as she looked at Kate and then back to her father. "He thinks the world revolves around him. You know, not everything's about you, _dad_."

Rick laughed. "Ah, of course it doesn't! It couldn't possibly revolve around me when everyone knows it's all about you, my darling one."

Kate felt a small pang of envy, watching the father-daughter banter, the clear mutual adoration. Kate found it somewhat ironic that she felt like an outsider intruding even though it was her home and they were the guests and if anyone was intruding, it would be them.

Alexis and Rick's continued bickering roused Toulouse who then leapt down from Kate's lap, stretching languidly before sitting down and licking a paw to clean his face. Kate watched as he stretched one final time and then padded off towards her room where she imagined he would be taking up his spot at the foot of the bed to wait for her. Just picturing her bed had caused the tiredness to creep in again, no longer able to be held at bay by any sugary delight or even the company of those she enjoyed.

Kate yawned and tried to conceal it with the back of her hand but Rick saw and seemed to understand because the next thing she knew, he was patting his hands on his legs as he stood.

"I think it's time we get going, kiddo. Kate's had a long day and I'm sure she's exhausted. And it's most definitely past your bedtime."

"But, dad.."

"But, nothing." He leaned over to pull her to her reluctant feet.

Kate too staggered to her feet.

"Sorry I've been such a lousy host-"

Rick waved her off. "Psh, are you kidding. We dropped by unannounced. Thanks for being gracious enough to invite us in."

Kate stared at him, was he really thanking _her_? He brought her food and showed up just to check on her and he was _thanking_ her?

She walked them to the door. "No, really. Thank you, guys. It was a nice end to a crazy day. Alexis, I love the flowers. They're so beautiful."

Alexis smiled shyly, looking down at her crossed feet.

"So, is it going to be another few months before some other chance encounter? Or are we past that now?" Rick asked.

Kate smiled a little. "I think we might just be past it. Speaking of chance encounters, I'd been meaning to ask you what you were even doing there today."

"Short story? Getting coffee. Long story? Well, I think I will hold onto that until I see you next."

"Mm, of course you will."

"So, we'll see you soon, then?"

"Work's crazy so I won't make any promises but, hopefully soon."

"Yeah, well, this time if I don't hear from you, I will know to just show up on your doorstep with food."

"Oh, you think I let you in because you had food?"

By this time, they'd been standing in front of the open door, goodbyes having been drawn out by each refusing to allow the other to have the last word.

"Well, if not for the food, then why?"

"Who could possibly turn down flowers from a kid as cute as Alexis?"

Rick looked back and forth between Alexis and Kate.

"Can't argue with that," he said as he ruffled his daughter's hair affectionately.

"Goodbye, you two. Thank you for coming by. The ice cream was nearly as sublime as the company."

"Bye, Kate," Alexis piped in.

Rick said one last goodbye before threatening (again) that he was no longer above inviting himself over and if he hadn't heard from her in the near future, he would be doing just that.

The moment she'd closed and locked the door, the smile disappeared from her face. No longer in the presence of company, Kate allowed the facade to fade, allowed her shoulders to slump a little with the weight of the day, allowed herself to feel achy and tired, allowed herself the acknowledgement that she didn't have it all together like she might try to pretend. It wasn't a conscious choice she made but her natural inclination around people was to project a certain image, the person she may not necessarily be, but the person she would like to be perceived as.

Strong.

Confident.

Put together.

More than capable of holding her own.

Kate had just slipped out of the sweat pants and was pulling on the big sleep shirt when she heard a quiet knocking sound. Unsure if she'd actually heard anything, she tilted her head and waited. There it was again, a gentle rapping at the door. She walked out of her room and flipped on a light before opening the door. Alexis stared up at her, shifting her weight from foot to foot.

"Sorry. I, uh, forgot my jacket and I didn't 'member until we were getting in the car and-"

Kate opened the door wider, "well, c'mon then!"

Alexis stepped inside and immediately went to the living room, Kate trailing behind. She watched as the girl checked on the couch, picking the throw pillows up and setting them back down gently. Alexis turned on the spot, eyes panning around for her jacket.

"Can't find it?"

Alexis spun at the sound of Kate's voice, shaking her head.

"Okay, do you remember when you first walked in? Where did you go?"

Alexis' brows furrowed in concentration as she tried to recall. Her head snapped up as she said, "Oh, yeah! I went to play with Toulouse!"

Alexis walked over to the little alcove where Kate kept a basket with all the cat toys. She leaned over and scooped up the jacket that had lied abandoned in the corner, forgotten among the excitement over playing with the cat.

"Thank you, Kate."

"Sure thing." Kate followed her to the door, hesitating a moment.

"You'll be okay to go back down on your own? You want me to walk with you?"

Alexis shook her head. "That's okay, my daddy is in the car waiting outside."

"Are you sure?" Kate asked, concerned.

"Mhmm."

Alexis looked up at Kate, watching her intently as though debating something. Finally, she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Kate's leg, "I'm sorry you got hurt."

She hugged her tightly for a moment before quickly letting go and stepping away. She looked almost embarrassed as she rattled off a goodbye and started down the hall, not waiting to listen to Kate's reply.

Kate didn't shut the door until the elevator doors shut behind Alexis, leaving her with mixed emotions. Ten minutes later, Kate was drawing back the covers and settling in, the scene with Alexis still replaying in her head.

The child was a mystery. She appeared as closed off as Kate imagined herself to be, only occasionally allowing her feelings to peek through in rare, unexpected moments, just enough for others to catch a glimpse of the real person within.

Kate wondered if they weren't too similar that she couldn't learn to read the girl better with time. Well, that would actually mean she planned on spending more time with them...

Kate drifted off to sleep, various scenarios playing out in her head, all of which included the little girl and her father.


	10. Chapter 10

**DISCLAIMER: I most definitely do not own Castle**

Their little corner of the precinct was quiet except for the soft tapping of Kate's pen on her desk. She kept glancing at the clock, willing the minute hand to tick just a little bit faster. Her gaze locked with Ryan's and she saw Esposito's eyes cast up as well. She wasn't the only one watching the clock.

The minute hand struck twelve and the hour hand crept to the number five. The three simultaneously released sighs of relief and there was the sound of papers being stacked and folders being shut. Kate clicked off the lamp on her desk as she reached for her coat on the back of the chair. She slipped it on and tugged on the strap of her bag at about the same time that Ryan and Esposito abandoned their desks.

"You know..with our luck," Ryan began saying as they stepped onto the elevator,"we're going to get a call right as we walk out saying-"

Esposito cut him off, hissing,"Don't even say it, bro. You're gonna jinx us."

Kate rolled her eyes at the silly notion. "He's not gonna jinx us. Espo. Either a body will drop or it won't."

"Yeah, well... I'd prefer he didn't even put it out there. It'd be nice to get one night off, if not a weekend."

Kate smiled as she hummed in agreement, the elevator lurching to a halt as she did.

"And just what're you planning on doing with this night off?" She asked as they stepped out of the elevator and began walking to the exit.

Esposito looked at Ryan who shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe go to the Old Haunt later? Grab a burger and some beer?"

Ryan nodded his head, "Jenny's been talking about their burger for the past week."

"I'll call Lanie and we can make it a group thing.. Beckett, you in?" Esposito asked as she pushed open the front door of the precinct.

"Yeah, definitely can't pass on a burger and beer. What time you all thinking?"

Esposito looked at Ryan again as they both gave a shrug of their shoulders.

"Seven?"

Kate nodded her head. "Seven it is then."

As she was stepping off the curb, she heard Esposito say, "You gonna invite anyone to come along?"

She halted mid step and pivoted on the spot, brows knitted. "Why would I invite anyone? It's just us, isn't it?"

Esposito shrugged and said, "Ryan and Jenny? Me and Lanie? Don't want to make you the awkward third wheel.."

Kate's eyes narrowed at his smirk. They sure did like to give her a hard time about being the third wheel, even though their dynamics really weren't all that different, despite Esposito and Lanie's change in relationship status a couple weeks ago.

"See you at seven," was all she said before she turned back and flagged down a cab.

Even before Kate climbed into the back of the cab, the wheels in her mind were turning. Esposito had started a train of thought that only continued to pick up speed. Inviting someone along wasn't all that bad of an idea. It would sure make the evening more interesting not to mention it would surprise the hell out of the boys. It wasn't really a question of who she would invite, but rather of committing to the idea.

Her thoughts were momentarily interrupted when they pulled up to her curb and she quickly paid the cabbie. By the time she'd walked into the lobby of her apartment building, she'd pulled her phone from her jacket pocket and was staring down at it.

She imagined the conversation several times over before she finally managed to hit the dial button. The phone rang and rang and rang and she was stepping through her front door and nudging it shut with her foot when a voice finally answered mid-ring.

There was a surprised note in her voice as she said, "Hey!"

She hadn't expected him to pick up and had just been pulling it away from her ear to hang up.

"Hey, you," he greeted. "What's up?"

"Nothing much, just got home from work. First night off in a while, thought maybe I should be the one to call you for a change."

"And was it so hard?" He teased.

Kate released a mock sigh before saying, "I guess not."

The smile on her face widened when she heard him chuckle.

"Anyway, I was just calling to see if you and Alexis were doing anything for dinner. Unless a case comes up, we've got the weekend off so my friends and I were going to go out to the Old Haunt tonight and I thought maybe you guys would like to come along, we could catch up.."

Kate stopped herself from rambling, something she very rarely had trouble with.

"Oh, Kate, we'd love to-"

Kate stopped pacing, anticipating the 'but.'

"but we're getting ready to go out of town for the weekend. Alexis and I are gonna drive up to the Hamptons. I wish I would have known sooner, I'd have just planned on leaving tomorrow morning."

"No, no," Kate said, "it was completely last minute. The Hamptons sounds much better than hanging out in a bar anyway. You two are going to have so much fun, I'm totally jealous."

"Really?"

"Yeah, are you kidding? Who wouldn't want to go to the Hamptons? Best getaway spot in New York."

"You could come with us."

Kate laughed. "Yeah, okay, Rick."

"No, really. Come with us."

"You can't be serious." Kate said, her laughter dying as she listened to the quietness on the other end. "You _are_ serious."

"Course I am. Come on, Kate, it'll be fun."

"I can't just.. get up and go, Rick."

"Sure you can, we are."

"Well, yeah.. because you're you and I'm... I have a job and, and...responsibilities."

"_So..._" Rick said and Kate could imagine him shrugging his shoulder as he smiled his crooked smile.

"C'mon, Kate. I thought you said you had the weekend off, barring any new cases."

Kate didn't have a response to that. She'd called to invite them out to a friendly dinner and somehow found herself invited along for a weekend retreat. How in the hell..

Rick took her silence to mean he'd won her over.

"Perfect! Alexis and I are just packing up and then we'll shoot over to yours to pick you up. Think you can be ready in an hour?"

"What? Rick, no! I never.. I _can't _go." She attempted to say firmly.

"Yeah, you can," he argued childishly.

"No, no, I-"

"Give me one good reason."

Kate stopped pacing. Her eyes darted around the room as her brain frantically tried to come up with just one good reason as to why she wouldn't accompany the Castles to the Hamptons.

"Because...because..."

"I'm waiting."

Her eyes landed on Toulouse, curled up sleeping in the corner of the couch.

"Because I can't leave Toulouse for an entire weekend."

Toulouse's ears twitched at his name and he raised his head. He looked completely unimpressed. He blinked back at Kate lazily, his head falling again to rest on his paws as he continued to watch Kate.

"He's a cat, he'll be fine."

"He has abandonment issues."

"He's a cat," Rick repeated drily.

"Yeah, a cat with abandonment issues. He'll destroy my apartment if I leave him alone that long."

"Don't you have someone that could come take care of him for a day or two?"

"No," Kate lied.

She had a number of people who would be willing to look after Toulouse. Everyone loved him. Even Esposito, a self declared cat hater.

There was the sound of static and Kate thought Rick had finally conceded.

"Bring him with."

Kate rolled her eyes.

"Don't be ridiculous. I don't know why I am even arguing this with you; it's not up for debate. I just called to invite you guys to dinner. I don't know how I ended up arguing over a weekend trip to the Hamptons. You don't even know me well enough to invite me along."

"So.. we can get to know each other better. C'mon. Balmy 80° weather, white, sandy beaches.."

"How about you guys call me when you get back and you can tell me all about it?"

Rick started to say something but Kate cut him off. "Okay? Okay. Talk to you soon! Bye!"

And she hung up the phone.

She looked at Toulouse and shook her head.

"Honestly, Toulouse.."

The phone in her hand began ringing and she looked down at the screen to see it was Rick calling back. Kate groaned as she tilted her head back and looked up at the ceiling.

She slid the unlock button across the screen and held it up to her ear.

"I just wanted to let you know we'll be by in another forty minutes or so, so be ready."

Kate's jaw dropped. He couldn't be serious.

"Very funny. You guys have fun, we can make plans to grab lunch or something next week."

"If you're not ready to go, it's gonna be me packing your bag, and ask Alexis- I'm not known to pick out the best matching outfits.. But, that's up to you."

Kate rolled her eyes. He was definitely teasing her now.

"_Goodbye, _Rick."

She hung up the phone and proceeded to stare at it for a few minutes, wondering if he'd call back again. After five minutes, she decided he probably wasn't going to so she tossed the phone on the coffee table and dropped down onto the couch next to her cat.

She scratched the side of his face, just near his chin and he immediately started purring. Toulouse stood up and climbed onto her lap and started kneading her legs with his front paws.

"Silly guy," Kate said softly as she continued to pet Toulouse. "Thought he could talk me into going to the Hamptons."

Kate pet Toulouse a few minutes longer before picking him up and dropping him on the floor as she stood up. It was just coming up on 6 and she needed to start getting ready for dinner now if she didn't want to be late.

Xx

Half an hour later, she stepped from the shower, drying herself off before wrapping the soft towel around her. She grabbed her phone off the counter, wiping the steamed up screen on her towel.

It showed one new text message.

She unlocked the screen and clicked the green icon with the red 1.

It was from Lanie.

**hey, girl.. dinner at the old haunt tonight, right? wanna ride together? I can just pick you up since you're on the way. **

Kate tapped the keyboard and began typing out a response, hitting send just as there was a knock at the door. Kate frowned and looked at the time stamp on Lanie's message thinking maybe she decided Kate was taking too long to reply and she assumed it mean she should just pick her up.

She wrapped the towel more tightly around her and opened the bathroom door, the steam swirling as it met the cooler air. Kate walked to the front entry and found Toulouse already sitting in front of the door. She pushed him back with her foot and he slid easily across the hardwood floor.

There was another knock and Kate opened it, saying, "Geeze, don't have to be so impati-Rick!"

He pushed past her, Alexis trotting in after. Kate looked after him, slack-jawed.

"Take it you haven't packed your bag yet?" He asked, his eyes raking over her towel clad body.

She crossed her arms and tried to keep the towel from slipping.

"I'm not-" she started to say when another voice drifted through the hallway and in her still open door.

"Kate, you didn't text me back so I assumed.."

The sharp click clack of Lanie's heels on the hardwood stopped abruptly as her jaw dropped.

"Didn't realize you were..._entertaining _anyone tonight.."

Lanie's eyes ran up and down Rick, taking in his casual jeans that hung nicely on his hips and the snug tee that clung to his body. Her eyes eventually wandered to where Kate stood, arms crossed, cheeks flushed.

"I'm not-" She began to say for the second time.

"It's not what it looks like," she stammered.

"Oh, really? You're not standing naked in your living room with Richard Castle's yummy self, about to jump his bones? I know we had dinner plans but, damn, Kate. You coulda just told me."

Kate nearly choked at Lanie's choice of words and she could feel the heat rush to her cheeks. Her wild eyes met with Rick's bemused ones, he didn't seem bothered in the slightest by Lanie's lack of tact.

"I'm not naked. I've got a towel on and Rick here was just leaving."

"Oh, don't let me put a damper on whatever it is you got goin on here. We can do dinner anytime. I'll just tell the boys something came up." Lanie said with a smirk as she started towards the door.

Kate started to follow her, reaching out a hand to stop her friend from leaving her alone with Rick and Alexis.

"Lanie-"

Lanie pivoted to face Kate. "No need to explain, just promise to fill me in later.." she winked at Kate before looking over at Rick who was now standing by one of the end tables and was toying with one of the trinkets, doing his best to give them some semblance of privacy.

"Wow," she mouthed, giving a little shake of her head.

"I don't know how you haven't ripped off all his clothes and taken him right-"

"Kate, did you pack some toys for Toulouse? What about food? You're not going to make him ride in a cage thing, are you? Can he ride in my lap because I think he'd like that much better."

The rest of Lanie's words died on her lips at the sight of the little girl's head which had popped over the top of the couch. She whipped her head back to face Kate.

Kate's eyebrows raised at the shocked expression. "Told you it wasn't what it looked like."

"Kate, what in the _hell_..."

_"_Long story short, I called to invite them along for the Old Haunt tonight and somehow I ended up invited along on their weekend in the Hamptons instead, which," she said, turning towards Rick and raising her voice enough to catch his attention. "I politely declined. I had no idea he would just show up here, expecting to drag me along-"

"What?!" he asked as he set down the wooden carving carefully and crossing the room to stand next to her. "That's totally not how it happened," he began, appealing to Lanie.

"I told her it was nonnegotiable and that I would _be_ here in an hour's time. That's plenty of time to get ready. I didn't show up expecting to find her naked-"

"Not naked." She pointed out.

"Might have been had my daughter not been with me," he fired back before continuing his explanation to Lanie. "I thought she'd have her bag packed by now, but-"

Lanie held up a hand. "I don't know why you're telling me all this. You wanna take her to the Hamptons, take her. Don't gotta explain it all to me."

She turned to Kate, "You already pack your bag or-"

"Lanie, I'm not going!"

Lanie paid no mind to the exasperated tone that said she was 100% done with it all.

"Sure you are. C'mon, hop to, you're holdin' everyone up."

Rick beamed at Lanie.

"I like her."

Lanie's hand closed around Kate's upper arm as she began tugging her towards her room.

"Yeah, she's a real peach," Kate groused as she tried to shirk Lanie's hold.

As soon as her bedroom door closed, Kate turned on Lanie who was already stood before her closet and was tugging out a couple sun dresses, holding one in each hand and weighing her options.

"What the hell are you doing, Lanie?" Kate hissed.

She stalked across the room and yanked the hangers out of her friend's hand.

"I'm helping you pack, what does it look like?"

"Pack for what?!" Kate cried, throwing up one hand. "I'm not going anywhere except for the Old Haunt like we planned!"

Lanie looked at her friend like she had two heads.

"You're really going to turn down an invitation to the Hamptons with _Richard Castle_ over a night out at the Old Haunt?"

"Lanie, I do not know him well enough to just go down to his beach house for the weekend. That's weird."

Lanie shrugged her shoulders before she snatched back the dresses Kate had tossed on the bed.

"So, what. You can get to know each other better there."

"Yeah, that's what he said," Kate deadpanned as she stared stonily at her friend.

She was not amused with being bullied into whatever the hell this was. She tried to take back the dark navy dress from Lanie who quickly spun out of her reach and moved on to digging through the drawers of her dresser.

"Now, are you going to help me pack, or are you going to trust that I can somehow remember everything and can pick out things you'll actually wear?"

"Lanie-"

"Are you going to help or not, Kate? You're going to make me late with all this arguing and-"

There was a hesitant knock at the door and they both immediately stilled at the sound.

Kate cleared her voice, "Just a minute, please."

She glared at Lanie and started miming her picking up clothes and putting them back in the drawers. It looked like a very intense, very heated conversation in sign language.

When Kate opened the door, it was Alexis, not Rick as she'd been expecting.

"Oh, hi, Alexis."

"Hi," she said, her eyes looking past Kate to see Lanie holding up shirts and tossing them to the side.

"I was just going to tell you I packed some of Toulouse's toys and I found the kitten food in the kitchen so I put some of that in a baggie too.."

Kate's face was frozen, caught somewhere between a smile and a frown. Alexis really thought she was going with them this weekend. She almost seemed excited.

"That was very...thoughtful of you, Alexis, but I don't think-"

Alexis' face fell instantly.

"Oh. You aren't coming after all."

The disappointment in her voice was enough to give Kate pause. She thought of Mother's Day and how upset she'd been then when her mom had disappointed her. Was she really willing to be another disappointment when the solution was so simple, so easy? Kate wondered at what was keeping her from agreeing in the first place.

Her pride?

Kate swallowed hard.

"No..." she said slowly. "That's not it at all. I was going to say I didn't think you'd have remembered to pack some of the cat litter. He's going to need somewhere to go to the bathroom."

Alexis' eyes lit up as she grinned and Kate watched as she tried not to smile so widely but couldn't.

"Oh, I hadn't even thought of that. Is that in the kitchen too?"

Kate smiled. "It's in the hall closet. Don't worry about it though, I can get it after I pack."

Alexis' little eyes widened some more. "You _still_ haven't packed yet?! What have you been doing?!"

Kate scrunched her nose and shrugged her shoulders a little.

"It's okay, Kate," Alexis reassured her as she reached for her hand and tugged her towards Lanie. "I can help you, I'm a good packer."

Xx

"I still don't understand how you managed to get me to come along."

Rick glanced over at Kate, his eyes momentarily straying from the highway.

"To be honest, I'm kind of surprised too. I just wanted to see if I could do it."

Kate stared at his profile, the yellow glow of passing street lights illuminating his face every so often. He wore a smug smile and there was a gleam of triumph in his eyes.

"All about the challenge, huh?"

"Mm," Rick hummed, turning to flash her a smile. "Do love a good challenge."

Something about what he said and the way in whichhe said it sparked suspicion and there was a flicker of doubt. She wondered if it was just a game to him, if _she_ was a game to him, a point to prove, a challenge to win. She didn't know Richard Castle well enough to trust in his intentions.

There were two sides of Richard Castle, two sides that she knew of, anyway. There was the one she'd first met, the public persona. The charmer, the shmoozer, the shameless flirt, the womanizer..The man that had cornered her in the bookstore, pinned her against a bookshelf and stolen a kiss she hadn't offered. And then there was the other Rick, the one she'd gotten a glimpse of when he was a suspected murderer. Serious, genuine, gracious, the family guy.. The man that felt so guilty about her getting hurt in a take down that he showed up at her doorstep with flowers and ice cream.

Two sides to Richard Castle, and she didn't know which view she was getting now.

She tore her eyes away from his unreadable face and instead glanced back to look at Alexis. She was passed out, stretching across the middle row with Toulouse curled up under one arm. A soft smile pulled at her lips as she turned around to face front once more.

"What?" Rick asked, his own lips curving up to mirror Kate's.

"She's got Toulouse snuggled under one arm and they're both passed out."

The smile broke across his face and he stole a glance in the rearview mirror to see for himself before flipping on his turn signal and taking the exit.

"She loves that cat. I've gotta hear about it all the time. I should actually thank you.. Alexis has always wanted a pet and now I think this way she can finally get her cat fix without me having to commit long term."

Kate chuckled before saying, "Not one for long term commitments, are you?"

The insinuation hadn't even occurred to Kate until the words had already slipped out, but Rick instantly latched onto the double entendre, smirking at Kate.

"Maybe I just haven't found anything worth the commitment yet."

Kate held his challenging gaze a moment before dropping it to look down at the clock on the dashboard.

"How much longer do you think?"

Thankfully, Rick let the last moment pass and easily accepted her swift and obvious subject change.

"Another 10 minutes, maybe. It's not too much farther, we should be there just before midnight."

Kate said nothing, but nodded her head. She reached down and fiddled with the radio, turning up the volume just enough to hear but not loud enough to disturb Alexis. The soft jazz was the only sound in the car for the remainder of the drive.

When they arrived at the house, Kate leaned forward in her seat in order to peer up at the massive house, lit only by a few spotlights on timers.

"Wow," she murmured, her hand lingering on the door handle.

"Just wait until you see it during the day," Rick said with pride.

He pushed his door open, causing the lights inside the car to turn on. Moment broken, Kate looked away from the house and pushed her own door open and stepped into the cool night air. She inhaled deeply, loving the smell of the fresh air mixed with just a hint of saltiness from the sea. It was a nice change from the city's smoggy air and muggy temperature.

"Glad you came?"

Kate's mind instantly snapped back from its brief wander and she turned to find Rick looking at her with a self satisfied smile on his face.

Her lips pressed together in a tight line before she reluctantly admitted, "Yeah.."

The smile on Rick's face grew and his eyes seemed to dance, pleased with himself to have gotten her to admit so. He started to pull on the handle of the back door when Kate spoke quickly.

"Don't forget Toulouse is in there! He might try to jump out and if he jumps out, we might not be able to get catch him!"

She swore Rick rolled his eyes at her as he said, "Relax, he's not going to get out. I'll open it slowly and grab him first and hand him to you and then I'll scoop up Alexis."

He carefully opened the door, mindful of Kate's gaze. He reached in and plucked Toulouse out from under Alexis' arm and handed him to Kate. Sleep had dulled the cat's senses and he was still nothing more than a rag doll in Kate's arms.

Rick then pulled his daughter into his arms, her tiny body naturally forming to his. Though her hands moved to clasp each other around his neck and her legs wrapped around his middle, she remained fast asleep. Rick kicked the door shut with the ball of one foot and began walking up the front steps to the house, Kate trailing behind.

"You know," Rick said as he stepped up the stairs. "I'm surprised he did as well as he did the car ride here."

"Toulouse? Yeah, he really did handle it pretty well, didn't he?"

Aside from the first five minutes of incessant meowing, Toulouse had been a perfectly behaved passenger. He jumped from seat to seat, wanting to explore every inch of the car which only became a problem when he tried to crawl under Rick's feet where the pedals were. Once he'd gotten booted from that area, he'd jumped from Kate's lap onto the dashboard, nearly slipping on the smooth surface. They'd all laughed when he'd laid down across the dashboard, stretching comfortably like king of the car while watching the cars in front of them. After he'd tired of looking out the windshield, he clumsily slid off the dash and jumped on Kate's lap before crawling onto her shoulder and then the head rest.

By then, he was fully at ease in the car and much of his cocky attitude had returned. He had started batting Kate's head with his paws, and even tried to bite her hair a few times before her annoyance had reached its threshold and she'd reached up a hand to push him off. They played that game for a while, his jumping up and her pushing him off, which had Alexis in stitches, laughing. He finally gave up and settled on the seat next to Alexis.

About the time Alexis had passed out, Toulouse had found his way cuddled beside her and the two had slept the rest of the ride.

"First time I ever heard of a cat going on a road trip.."

Kate chuckled at his tone and watched as he fumbled with the keys.

"Here, want me to?"

"Yeah..I just can't..get it in.." Rick said, squinting in the poor lighting as he tried to find the right key to insert in the lock.

When he turned to hand Kate the keys, he saw Kate's smirk.

"Is that a problem you have often?"

Rick gave her a look as he pressed the keys into the hand that wasn't holding Toulouse.

"Ha. Ha. Good one."

"Sorry..You just walked right into it, Rick," Kate goaded, grinning as she took the keys.

She held them up to the porch light for a moment before selecting one and slipping it easily into the lock and turning the deadbolt. Kate stepped aside so as to allow Rick to enter first. As soon as he'd flipped on the lights and shut the door, Kate set Toulouse down on the floor.

Rick disappeared down a hallway, presumably to Alexis' room, and Kate awkwardly remained in the front entry. She felt weird again, unsure of how exactly she'd came to be standing in Richard Castle's vacation home in the Hamptons. Kate tried not to think about it, it didn't feel so weird if she managed to shut her brain off..

She watched Toulouse nose around, his fur slightly puffed out as the unknown made him anxious. He wandered around, sniffing at the furniture and she suddenly thought that he might be looking for somewhere to go to the bathroom. She went outside to the car and began unloading their bags. Not wanting to make two trips, she somehow managed to juggle the three bags as well as the litter-box up the steps and into the house.

She was setting everything down as Rick walked in.

"Oh, you already brought everything in.. You should have waited, I would have gotten it all."

Kate shook her head.

"I was perfectly capable of helping carry stuff in. Besides, you were busy tucking in your kid."

Kate then held out two of the bags, saying, "I wasn't sure where you'd want me to put them."

"Thanks," Rick said as he took the bags from her.

They stared at each other for a moment, each second that passed in silence emphasizing the growing sense of awkwardness.

"So... where am I sleeping?"

"Oh. Right!" Rick said, the moment broken. "Uh, you're sleeping in the room right next to mine, is that okay?" Rick asked, even as he started leading her there.

"And what if I said it wasn't?"

Rick stopped in his tracks and turned to look at her, frowning as he tried to figure out something else.

"Then, uh, you can.. sleep in the other guest bedroom, but I don't think that one has been-"

"Rick," Kate cut in. "I was kidding. You could tell me I was sleeping on the couch for all I care. It was nice of you to have me here at all."

A weak smile replaced the frown. "I must be pretty tired if I can't tell when you're kidding or not."

"That, or I just have a really good poker face."

"Pfft. I am the king of poker." Rick said as he took her bag from her.

Kate started to protest but then thought better of it, instead just following him to her room.

"I could totally take you.. Have you begging for mercy by the time I'm through."

Rick turned and flashed her a wolfish grin over his shoulder.

"Could you, now? So, my bedroom or yours then?" He asked, knowing entirely well she hadn't intended such a lewd connotation as the one he'd interpreted.

Kate gave him a dry look.

"Suppose I did walk right into that one."


End file.
